CRITICAL MINERAL Definition & Meaning

critical mineral

[ krit-i-kuhl min-er-uhl, min-ruhl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a mineral or element, such as aluminum, cobalt, lithium, or nickel, that is declared by the U.S. government to be necessary for the production of nationally important technologies and is difficult to source, especially because of its rarity or location.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of critical mineral¹

First recorded in 2005–10

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"We supply them with vital energy, conventional energy and potentially could supply them with critical minerals."

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Co-operation on defence and Canada's abundant critical minerals is also on the table.

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The deep sea contains billions of tonnes of potato-shaped rocks, called polymetallic nodules, which are rich in critical minerals like cobalt and rare earths.

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Albanese's proposed reserve includes rare earths as well as other critical minerals of which Australia is a top producer - like lithium and cobalt.

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In 2024, China banned the export of another critical mineral, antimony, that is crucial to various manufacturing processes.

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critical mass critical path analysis

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