defining moment

noun

1. a point at which the essential nature or character of a person, group, etc., is revealed or identified.

Word History and Origins

Origin of defining moment¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

No, childbirth is not a contest, but it is “a defining moment” in the lives of many women.

From The Daily Beast

I knew there were powerful things happening…it was definitely a defining moment.

From The Daily Beast

He told me that the watching the Snake-Eyes story was a defining moment in his childhood.

From The Daily Beast

A defining moment for the country was also a defining one for Tina Brown.

From The Daily Beast

We have to respond, this is a defining moment in the relationship.

From The Daily Beast