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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of turning point

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Early aging begins after the next turning point.

From The Wall Street Journal

For investors, the challenge isn’t to identify a single turning point on the horizon.

From Barron's

After decades of steady progress, computational astrophysicists have reached a major turning point in black hole research.

From Science Daily

She decided to start taking weight-loss medication because she had reached a "key turning point" in her life.

From BBC

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

From BBC

Related Words

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