defining moment

American  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of defining moment

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

The company said at the time that “as we enter a defining moment shaped by AI, there is no one better than Aneel to lead this next chapter.”

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

The gaffe became a defining moment of Quayle’s term.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Father James Martin: This was a defining moment for me.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

The strike “would be a defining moment in the history of the coalfields,” Giardina said, “and Jackson made it clear where he stood.”

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

This was the defining moment in the correspondence.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis