MISSIONCRITICAL Meaning and
Definition
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Mission-critical is an adjective used to describe tasks, operations, systems, or functions that are essential for the success and continuity of an organization or a specific mission. It refers to any element that, should it fail or perform inadequately, would significantly impede or halt the achievement of predetermined goals, resulting in serious consequences or risk to human life, financial stability, reputation, or overall mission accomplishment.
The term commonly applies to crucial functions within various industries, such as telecommunications, healthcare, technology, aviation, finance, and emergency services, where the failure of a critical process can have severe implications. For instance, in the healthcare sector, the accurate and timely functioning of life-support systems or patient monitoring equipment is mission-critical as it directly affects patient well-being and survival.
Mission-critical tasks typically have specific characteristics, including high complexity, strict performance requirements, time sensitivity, and potential for irreparable damage when not functioning optimally. Organizations often allocate significant resources, including advanced technologies, reliable infrastructure, redundancy mechanisms, and highly skilled professionals, to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of mission-critical operations.
Due to their pivotal role, mission-critical systems are generally subject to rigorous testing, continuous monitoring, and backup structures to minimize the risk of failure. Additionally, there is often a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place to swiftly address any disruptions or failures and to ensure minimal downtime to protect the organization's primary objectives and the safety and well-being of individuals involved.
Common Misspellings for MISSIONCRITICAL
- nissioncritical
- kissioncritical
- jissioncritical
- mussioncritical
- mjssioncritical
- mkssioncritical
- mossioncritical
- m9ssioncritical
- m8ssioncritical
- miasioncritical
- mizsioncritical
- mixsioncritical
- midsioncritical
- miesioncritical
- miwsioncritical
- misaioncritical
- miszioncritical
- misxioncritical
- misdioncritical
- miseioncritical
Etymology of MISSIONCRITICAL
The word "mission-critical" is composed of two parts: "mission" and "critical".
The term "mission" originated from the Latin word "missio" meaning "sending" or "act of sending". The word "mission" first appeared in English during the 16th century and was initially associated with religious or military contexts, referring to a specific task, duty, or purpose.
The word "critical" comes from the Greek word "kritikos", which means "able to judge" or "able to discern". It was initially used in the field of medicine, referring to the point at which a patient's condition could take a turn for the worse. Over time, "critical" expanded its meaning to include any situation or element that required careful evaluation, was of vital importance, or had severe consequences.
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