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

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)”

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

If this happens, it would mark a substantial pivot from how American forces have operated in the region post-9/11.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

Foster explained his career pivot in Tuesday’s episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” TV show, a documentary-style series that tracks an NFL team’s training camp in real-time.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Much like Greybeard’s pivot, they decided to pause the hike.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

He later put pen to paper to explain the company's ill-fated pivot to the metaverse in 2021.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The extension of my sense of the personality of Bigger was the pivot of my life; it altered the complexion of my existence.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Nonfarm payrolls data for July will be watched especially closely for clues to the Federal Reserve’s rate plotting path, as Chairman Kevin Warsh pivots the Fed away from providing forward guidance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

BP, whose performance has generally fallen behind that of its rivals in recent years, has in recent times slashed clean energy investment as it pivots back to its more profitable oil and gas business.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Xbox leadership has insisted the "painful" cuts across its sprawling network of studios are necessary to equip it for future success, as it pivots focus to its biggest blockbuster titles.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

In the novel, Hubie and Janine’s relationship pivots after an ectopic pregnancy ends in loss.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Michael pivots slowly, gazes out in the direction of the trees for a few seconds, and then wham, he releases the throw.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

After getting fired, Eatherly pivoted, creating his own remodeling business, named after his initials, DLE Contracting.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Fox’s coverage pivoted from hard fouls to trans panic, Clark got dragged into a fight she has spent three years trying to avoid and Cunningham’s follower count exploded.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

He was sent to do farm work and didn’t regain his political status until 1978, when Deng pivoted China away from Communist orthodoxy after Mao’s death.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger were eyeing an NBA expansion team bid in Las Vegas but pivoted to buying the Lakers from Mark Walter, who bought a controlling interest in the team last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

When she reached the very top, she pivoted, slowly reaching her arms out for balance.

From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder

Companies such as Caterpillar and Cummins are pivoting to feed a booming market for once-prosaic machinery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

The group’s self-titled, guitar-drenched first album met a desire for hard rock when many popular artists were pivoting to disco and funk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Now, the country is pivoting toward yet another workaround, this time looking north to the Mediterranean Sea to export its crude.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

The by-product is pivoting into its professional era in the 21st century.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

"Oh, I'm surprised you noticed," I say, abruptly pivoting on my coldness toward him.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

Related Words

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