critical temperature

American  

[krit-i-kuhl tem-per-uh-cher, tem-pruh‐] / ˈkrɪt ɪ kəl ˈtɛm pər ə tʃər, ˈtɛm prə‐ /

noun

Physics.

1. the temperature of a pure element or compound at a critical point.

   Above the critical temperature, no liquid can form, no matter how great the pressure of the gas is.

---

critical temperature British  

noun

1. the temperature of a substance in its critical state. A gas can only be liquefied by pressure alone at temperatures below its critical temperature

---

critical temperature Scientific  

1. The temperature of a substance at its critical point.

2. The temperature at which a material becomes a superconductor.

3. The temperature at which a property of a material, such as its magnetism, changes.

---

Etymology

Origin of critical temperature

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Below a specific critical temperature, these coordinated interactions dominate, and the material becomes ferromagnetic.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

Professor Galea explained this is what happens when hot gases rise to the ceiling, reach a critical temperature and then ignite the room near instantaneously.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

The railroad’s sensors spotted the bearing starting to heat up in the miles before the derailment, but it didn’t reach a critical temperature and trigger an alarm until just before the derailment.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024

New research discovered that some tropical leaves are already surpassing that critical temperature.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2023

The extra energy of the unbroken symmetry state would then be released and would reheat the universe to a temperature just below the critical temperature for symmetry between the forces.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking