supercritical

S1U1P3E1R1C3R1I1T1I1C3A1L1

adjective

Above its critical temperature and critical pressure.

Similar
critical
Opposite
subcritical
OriginEnglish critical ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← Latin criticus →
Less commonScrabble 19
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Meanings

adjectivesupercritical (comparative more supercritical, superlative most supercritical)

comparative more supercritical · superlative most supercritical

  1. Of a substance or system above a critical threshold or range.
    1. natural sciencesAbove its critical temperature and critical pressure.
    2. natural sciencesHaving a mass sufficient to sustain an accelerating fission chain reaction.
    3. aerodynamicsAbove the speed of sound.

Synonyms & antonyms

all senses

Opposite
subcritical

adjective(especially of fissionable material) able to sustain a chain reaction in such a manner that the rate of reaction increases

Similar
critical
Also see
critical

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Italic*super
  4. Latinsuper
  5. Latinsuper-
  6. Englishsuper-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*krey-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*krinyéti
  9. Proto-Hellenic*kríňňō
  10. Ancient Greekκρῑ́νω (krī́nō)
  11. Ancient Greekκρῐ- (krĭ-)
  12. Ancient Greekκρῐτής (krĭtḗs)
  13. Ancient Greekκριτικός (kritikós)
  14. Latincriticus
  15. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  16. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  17. Englishcritical
  18. Englishsupercritical

From super- + critical.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 超臨界的 /超临界的
  • 超臨界的 /超临界的 (chāolínjiè de)of a gas, above its critical temperature and critical pressure
Finnish ylikriittinen, ylikriittinen
  • ylikriittinenof a gas, above its critical temperature and critical pressure
  • ylikriittinenabove the speed of sound
  • ylikriittinenabove some critical value or range
Italian supercritico, supercritico
  • supercriticoof a gas, above its critical temperature and critical pressure
  • supercriticoabove the speed of sound
  • supercriticoabove some critical value or range
Cite this entry
APA

supercritical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supercritical

MLA

“supercritical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supercritical. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “supercritical,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supercritical.

Source: supercritical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.