turning point

American  

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 British  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of turning point

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Speaking later in a news conference, Littler, who won £410,000 in prize money, hoped his release of emotions would be a "turning point" in his relationship with the crowd.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

“While this may suggest a turning point in relative performance, we believe this recent momentum is masking weakness in underlying small-cap equity fundamentals,” Sagal wrote.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

It could be a turning point for the fledgling government, but it’s very unclear in what direction.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Hearing Hawkins’s recording of “Body and Soul” as a fourth-grader had been a turning point for Rollins musically and eventually lead him to switch from alto to tenor saxophone.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

I don’t know how much of this conversation he understands, but I think on some level he’s aware that this is a turning point for him.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass

Related Words

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