inflection point
Americannoun
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Also called point of inflection. Also called flex point. Mathematics. a point on a curve at which the curvature changes from convex to concave or vice versa.
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a point at which a major or decisive change takes place; critical point.
We’re at an inflection point where we’ll see the technology move forward at a much faster pace.
Etymology
Origin of inflection point
First recorded in 1715–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The twin earthquakes on June 24, which killed 6,500 people in Venezuela, were an inflection point for her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
It's an inflection point, according to Priyanka Bhargav, who leads brand strategy at Flipkart.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
On the whole, this looks to be a positive inflection point in our political leadership, empowering a new generation of leaders advocating needed changes in the government’s relationship with its constituents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
In many ways, it feels like an inflection point in which more community leaders and elected officials are listening to their concerned constituents and hitting the pause button on development for now.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Almost every massive inflection point comes with one of these stories, but very few of these stories leads to a massive inflection point,” Hackett told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
