criticality

noun

crit·​i·​cal·​i·​ty ˌkri-tə-ˈka-lə-tē 

: a critical quality, state, or nature

The true criticality of that basic political rationale is being demonstrated in the 1990s.

—Colin S. Gray

But the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, in a report released Tuesday, found that the list was not child's play: all these "unusual or out-of-place" sites "whose criticality is not readily apparent" are inexplicably included in the official federal antiterrorism database.

—Eric Lipton

specifically, physics : the state in which a mass of fissionable material sustains or is able to sustain a nuclear chain reaction

Criticality can be achieved by increasing mass (adding more plutonium) or … by compressing a barely subcritical mass to increase its density.

—Daniel J. Lenihan

How big is a critical mass? That depends on the proportion of fissile material and on its shape and configuration. Surrounding the mass with a neutron-reflecting substance further reduces the size needed for criticality, by returning neutrons that would otherwise escape.

—Richard Wolfson

Examples of criticality in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Given the criticality of AI, that is a good thing for all of us. —John Roese, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

If the request is of higher priority, visibility, or business criticality, consider discussing your current tasks with your manager. —Juliette Han, Phd, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

As noted above, 46% of organizations do not incorporate asset criticality into their materials planning process. —Paul J. Noble, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Be honest about your company's core expertise and the criticality of the system to your business. —Varun Kumar, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above