turning point

noun

1. a point at which a decisive change takes place; critical point; crisis.

2. a point at which something changes direction, especially a high or low point on a graph.

3. Surveying.,  a point temporarily located and marked in order to establish the elevation or position of a surveying instrument at a new station.

turning point

noun

1. a moment when the course of events is changed

   the turning point of his career

2. a point at which there is a change in direction or motion

3. maths a stationary point at which the first derivative of a function changes sign, so that typically its graph does not cross a horizontal tangent

4. surveying a point to which a foresight and a backsight are taken in levelling; change point

Word History and Origins

Origin of turning point¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Dubal called the decision “a turning point in the fight to save free speech and research in the finest public school system in the world.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A turning point for his media career was the 1990s internet boom, when he headed a startup, Wolff New Media, that was, briefly, valued at $100 million.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Effective stories also hinge on pivotal moments, and Mr. Kukushkin spotlights several recently proposed evolutionary turning points.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The painting marked a turning point in the European perception of Africans, Weidinger said.

Read more on Barron's

"This coin sums up the turning point between the frightening Vikings who are attacking us, and the settler Vikings who actually are us in a strange way."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• climax 
• critical point 
• crux 
• culmination 
• juncture 
• twist