supercritical

American  

[soo-per-krit-i-kuhl] / ˌsu pərˈkrɪt ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. extremely critical.

2. Physics. pertaining to a mass of radioactive material in which the rate of a chain reaction increases with time.

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supercritical British  

/ ˌsuːpəˈkrɪtɪkəl /

adjective

1. physics (of a fluid) brought to a temperature and pressure higher than its critical temperature and pressure, so that its physical and chemical properties change

2. nuclear physics of or containing more than the critical mass

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Other Word Forms

• supercritically adverb
• supercriticalness noun

Etymology

Origin of supercritical

First recorded in 1600–10; super- + critical

Example Sentences

But in December, the government said it would keep Cirebon-1 open, citing its long potential lifespan and "supercritical" technology, which burns coal more efficiently than older plants.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

One possible explanation for the ultraluminosity is that an extraordinary amount of gas falls onto a compact object through a process called supercritical accretion.

From Science Daily • Dec. 14, 2025

It relies on heating and pressurising water to such a high degree that it enters a new state of matter: a so-called supercritical state.

From BBC • Aug. 18, 2025

Other suggested techniques, such as supercritical water oxidation or plasma reactors, have the same drawbacks.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2024

A girl absolutely different from all his cherished mental images; but, for Howat Penny, always potent, always arousing a response from his supercritical being, stirring his aesthetic heart.

From The Three Black Pennys A Novel by Hergesheimer, Joseph