pivot

American  

[piv-uht] / ˈpɪv ət /

noun

• pivots
  plural

1. 

   a pin, point, or short shaft on the end of which something rests and turns, or upon and about which something rotates or oscillates.

2. the end of a shaft or arbor, resting and turning in a bearing.

3. any thing or person on which something or someone functions or depends vitally.

   He is the pivot of my life.

4. the person in a line, as of troops on parade, whom the others use as a point about which to wheel or maneuver.

5. a whirling about on one foot.

6. a change in policy, opinion, product design, etc., that retains some continuity with its previous version, especially as part of a strategy to appeal to a different audience: the administration’s pivot toward Asia;

   a pivot in public policy;

   the administration’s pivot toward Asia;

   multiple product pivots to reach new consumers.

7. Basketball. the act of keeping one foot in place while holding the ball and moving the other foot one step in any direction, so as not to be charged with traveling.

8. Basketball.

   1. an offensive position in the front court, usually played by the center, in which the player stands facing away from the offensive basket and serves as the pivot of the offense by setting up plays through passing, making screens, and taking shots.

   2. Also called pivotman. the player who plays in the pivot position.

9. Dentistry. (formerly) dowel.

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verb (used without object)

• pivots,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pivoted,
  past participle,  past
• pivoting
  present participle

1. to turn on or as on a pivot.

2. Basketball. to keep one foot in place while holding the ball and moving the other foot one step in any direction.

3. to modify a policy, opinion, product, etc., while retaining some continuity with its previous version, especially as part of a strategy to appeal to a different audience: The studio pivoted away from gritty realism to make the film’s sequel more family-friendly.

   The candidate will need to pivot on her unpopular position regarding prescription drug pricing.

   The studio pivoted away from gritty realism to make the film’s sequel more family-friendly.

verb (used with object)

• pivots,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pivoted,
  past participle,  past
• pivoting
  present participle

1. to mount on, attach by, or provide with a pivot or pivots.

2. to modify (a policy, opinion, product, etc.) while retaining some continuity with its previous version.

   The start-up was able to pivot the app to a new market without losing too many man-hours of coding.

pivot British  

/ ˈpɪvət /

noun

1. a short shaft or pin supporting something that turns; fulcrum

2. the end of a shaft or arbor that terminates in a bearing

3. a person or thing upon which progress, success, etc, depends

4. the person or position from which a military formation takes its reference, as when altering position

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verb

1. (tr) to mount on or provide with a pivot or pivots

2. (intr) to turn on or as if on a pivot

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pivots
  plural

Participles

• pivoting
  present
• pivoted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pivot
  simple
• pivots
  simple
• have pivoted
  perfect
• has pivoted
  perfect
• am pivoting
  progressive
• are pivoting
  progressive
• is pivoting
  progressive
• have been pivoting
  perfect progressive
• has been pivoting
  perfect progressive

Past

• pivoted
  simple
• had pivoted
  perfect
• was pivoting
  progressive
• were pivoting
  progressive
• had been pivoting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pivot
  simple
• will have pivoted
  perfect
• will be pivoting
  progressive
• will have been pivoting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of pivot

First recorded in 1350–1400; < French, Middle French, Old French “hinge, pivot”; further origin uncertain, perhaps related to Catalan piu, Occitan pivèu “spindle, pivot,” and Provençal pua “tooth on a heckle (flax comb)”

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Explanation

To pivot is to turn or rotate, like a hinge. Or a basketball player pivoting back and forth on one foot to protect the ball. When you're not talking about a type of swiveling movement, you can use pivot to mean the one central thing that something depends upon. The central pivot of your student government campaign, for example, might be longer recess time. Or your plans to go to the beach this weekend could pivot upon whether it rains, as the weather channel has predicted, or gets surprisingly sunny.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pivot pivots pivoted pivoting

But fancy graphics have come at a price - a pivot away from realism into something a bit more cartoonish.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2026

"Nobody was prepared for the swiftness or the violence of the pivot," Tu Le of Sino Auto Insights told AFP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

But getting there required a pivot to the heart.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Given the lack of consumer success so far, investors aren’t enthused with the pivot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

I noticed the others falling into columns of four, and I was alone in the rear, like the pivot of a drill team.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Comebacks in retail are few and far between, Bernstein writes in a new analysis of the sector’s pivots over the past century.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

Cinematographer Kira Kelly shoots powerful close-ups of Misty, then pivots to watch the people watching her.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

I currently work at a company that matches contributions, which is a great benefit, but I’m curious if there are better options, especially for someone always expecting the next layoff and potential career pivots.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Carney has been clear that the road ahead for Canada as it pivots away from its reliance on the US will be a tough one.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

She pivots and marches away from me, leading me down the hall with her hand up in the air as if I might otherwise lose her.

From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead

Initially he worked on shows commissioned by Chinese apps, but says he's now working with US platforms, global streamers and UK companies, after the industry in China pivoted to AI production.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2026

The killing left her disaffected with electoral politics, and she pivoted to activism and community politics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Overall liquidity has been declining and stock liquidity has pivoted back towards larger caps, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

It divested its main assets following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and pivoted to providing AI cloud-computing services a little over two years ago, striking contracts with tech companies including Meta and Microsoft.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

I pivoted my chin along the floor so I could see where the voice came from.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

Christine Idzelis explained why investors have been pivoting toward stocks with attractive dividend yields.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Increasingly pivoting to the US market, AstraZeneca in February began listing its shares directly on the New York Stock Exchange to attract more investors.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Like Richard Linklater’s own low-budget breakout “Slacker,” “Ten Will” is so crowded with vivid kooks that you could imagine the camera pivoting to follow whoever it meets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

The BBC would likely argue, when it comes to audiences, who are at the heart of everything, it is pivoting to find them where they already are.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

He’d been pivoting on his right leg when Burt Wesson, a bruiser on the Washington Bullets, slammed into him.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

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Related Words

• depend
• rotate
• swivel
• twirl
• veer
• whirl

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