CRITICAL MASS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does critical mass mean? 

• CRITICAL MASS (noun)
  The noun CRITICAL MASS has 2 senses:

1. the minimum amount (of something) required to start or maintain a venture

2. the minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reaction

  Familiarity information: CRITICAL MASS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CRITICAL MASS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The minimum amount (of something) required to start or maintain a venture

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

they sold the business because it lacked critical mass

Hypernyms ("critical mass" is a kind of...):

amount (the relative magnitude of something with reference to a criterion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reaction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("critical mass" is a kind of...):

mass (the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field)

 Context examples 

Things appear to be reaching critical mass and are requiring a decision.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)