crisis

[krahy-sis]

noun

plural

crises 

1. a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; turning point.

2. a condition of instability or danger, as in social, economic, political, or international affairs, leading to a decisive change.

3. a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life.

4. Medicine/Medical.

   1. the point in the course of a serious disease at which a decisive change occurs, leading either to recovery or to death.

   2. the change itself.

5. the point in a play or story at which hostile elements are most tensely opposed to each other.

adjective

1. of, referring to, or for use in dealing with a crisis.

crisis

/ ˈkraɪsɪs /

noun

1. a crucial stage or turning point in the course of something, esp in a sequence of events or a disease

2. an unstable period, esp one of extreme trouble or danger in politics, economics, etc

3. pathol a sudden change, for better or worse, in the course of a disease

Other Word Forms

• crisic adjective
• postcrisis adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crisis¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin crisis “(medical) crisis,” from Greek krísis “decision, interpretation,” equivalent to kri- variant stem of krīnein “to decide, separate, judge” + -sis -sis

Word History and Origins

Origin of crisis¹

C15: from Latin: decision, from Greek krisis, from krinein to decide

Synonym Study

See emergency.

Example Sentences

“In a crisis, all correlations go to one” goes the old market saying.

Read more on Barron's

When Barack Obama won the White House in 2008, the country was in the midst of a severe economic crisis and a painful recession.

Read more on Salon

Talks between the Venezuelan opposition and the Maduro government mediated by Norway and held in Barbados broke down as did an earlier Vatican-backed effort at finding a way out of Venezuela's political crisis.

Read more on BBC

“The bird flu crisis did not magically disappear.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The fight to save Joshua trees is inseparable from the fight to address the climate crisis that threatens them.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• catastrophe 
• change 
• confrontation 
• crunch 
• deadlock 
• dilemma 
• disaster 
• emergency 
• impasse 
• mess 
• pressure 
• situation 
• trouble 

When To Use

Plural word for crisis

The plural form of crisis is crises, pronounced [ krahy-seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -sis are also formed in the same way, including hypothesis/hypotheses, analysis/analyses, and axis/axes. A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices. Irregular plurals that are formed like crises derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek. Do you know: What is the plural of thesis?