subcritical: Meaning and Definition of

sub•crit•i•cal

Pronunciation: (sub-krit'i-kul), [key]
— adj.
  1. pertaining to a state, value, or quantity that is less than critical, esp. to a mass of radioactive material.
  2. being of less than critical importance.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.