definitions

critical mass

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR critical mass ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Physics. the amount of a given fissionable material necessary to sustain a chain reaction at a constant rate.
an amount necessary or sufficient to have a significant effect or to achieve a result: a critical mass of popular support.

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RELATED WORDS

climax, crisis, crossroads, emergency

Nearby words

critical care unit, critical constant, critical constants, critical damping, critical density, critical mass, critical organ, critical path analysis, critical period, critical point, critical pressure

Origin of critical mass

First recorded in 1940–45
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for critical mass

critical mass

noun

the minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction
the minimum amount of money or number of people required to start or sustain an operation, business, process, etcthe critical mass for a subscription digital sports channel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for critical mass

critical mass

The smallest mass of a fissionable material that will sustain a nuclear chain reaction.
The amount of matter needed to generate sufficient gravitational force to halt the current expansion of the universe. See also big bang big crunch.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for critical mass

critical mass

In physics, the amount of material that must be present before a chain reaction can sustain itself.

Note

The term critical mass is used to refer generally to the minimum amount of something needed to produce a given effect: “The town needs a critical mass of industry to attract more business.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.