supercritical

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

adjective

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

Origin of supercritical

First recorded in 1600–10; super- + critical

OTHER WORDS FROM supercritical

su·per·crit·i·cal·ly, adverb su·per·crit·i·cal·ness, noun

Words nearby supercritical

superconductor, supercontinent, supercool, supercow, supercrat, supercritical, supercurrent, superdelegate, superdense, superdense theory, superdominant

Example sentences from the Web for supercritical

  • The practical person, the wary pedant, and the supercritical will scoff at this, but let it stand.

    Dickens' London |Francis Miltoun

British Dictionary definitions for supercritical

supercritical
/ (ˌsuːpəˈkrɪtɪkəl) /

adjective

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
nuclear physics of or containing more than the critical mass