critical mineral

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

noun

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of critical mineral¹

First recorded in 2005–10