Critical Path
The longest chain of dependent work that determines the earliest possible completion time for an effort.
Plain English
The sequence that directly controls when the whole plan can finish.
In context
Delay on the critical path moves the expected completion unless the sequence duration or dependencies change.
Example
“Security approval is on the critical path for the production migration.”
When you'll hear this
- project planning
- launch tracking
- dependency reviews
Common misunderstanding
The most important work is not necessarily on the critical path if it does not control timing.
Also known as
project critical pathcritical sequence
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-27
