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national crisis

American  
[nash-uhn-uhl krahy-sis] / ˈnæʃ ən əl ˈkraɪ sɪs /

noun

  • national crises
    plural
  1. a social or economic crisis, such as rising crime, political uprising, or a housing shortage, that affects a large portion of a nation or requires the resources and powers of a national government to address it.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

See Examples For:

But nobody is perfect, especially in a national crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 18, 2026

A recent government-commissioned report by former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn described the Neet rate as an "urgent national crisis"; he will propose policy recommendations later this year.

From BBC Jul. 17, 2026

But if it were to happen, hello, national crisis!

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 26, 2026

To that end, Mott announced that the president, rather than officers of inferior rank, could make the first call to deploy the militia in a national crisis.

From Slate Oct. 21, 2025

Stock prices and the dollar’s value dropped sharply as investors anticipated a national crisis.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

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