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

It’s about the fact that the Lotus’s polar axis runs exactly through the driver’s inboard hip, so that the machine rotates around them and not some invisible pivot point, just off-center.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Super Micro’s gross margins have been a key focus for investors in recent quarters, as the company has been making an expensive AI pivot and prioritizing capturing market share over profitability.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

However, a dovish pivot from the Fed or a broad-based improvement in the economic growth outlook represent key risks,” Goldman says.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Mr. Burnham has a limited chance after he takes office to pivot, especially on matters such as welfare reform.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Then I pivot down and dart away right as it goes off.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

At the center of the Kim sisters’ career pivots was a love of hospitality and Korean culture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 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

If it proves to be true, it’s bad news for so-called neoclouds that are also in the business of selling AI computing power as Meta pivots from a major customer to a potential rival.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Also, unlike venture-backed or private equity-backed firms that are motivated to build long-term enterprise value, Big Four partners are reluctant to experiment with major billing pivots that could threaten or delay their payouts, O’Dowd said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

I got my bearings zipping around the rink for a while, picking up speed, cutting left and right, short hops, pivots.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

The Lakers pivoted quickly after James announced he wouldn’t return, overhauling the roster to complement star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

The kingdom had pivoted to exporting some of its oil from Yanbu, a Red Sea port and industrial hub.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

In February, the board pivoted and entered negotiations with Sunrise Senior Living, whose proposal is more profitable, has a faster timeline and provides more space for community amenities, according to the district.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Nokia has pivoted to providing crucial infrastructure for data centers supporting the AI boom, causing its stock to rise roughly 90% so far this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

He pivoted so that he was facing directly at me.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

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

Points, too, for the solid casting, from the leads’ tricky pivoting from openness to caginess, to the criminally underseen Wasikowska, who navigates maternal complexities of worry and compassion that confound easy pigeonholing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

Allbirds is changing its name to Smartbird and pivoting to an AI business, appointing Nadia Carlsten as its new chief executive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

The wall on Kyle’s right swung open, revealing six swiveling sections, each pivoting panel maybe twenty feet long, all skittering sideways and gliding backward to create new walls and reconfigured pathways.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

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