inflection point

noun

1

: a moment when significant change occurs or may occur : turning point

At 18, Bobby is at an inflection point that will largely determine the course of his life.

—Stacy Perman

… the gradual move away from big-iron machines toward work stations and personal computers has been going on for years in corporate America—but the inflection point came suddenly.

—Steve Lohr

It depends on us, on the choices we make, particularly at certain inflection points in history; particularly when big changes are happening and everything seems up for grabs.

—Barack Obama

2

mathematics : a point on a curve that separates an arc concave upward from one concave downward and vice versa

Examples of inflection point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Why Words Matter Many young voters believe our nation is at a critical inflection point with respect to its own cultural, political, and moral identity. —Earl Carr, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Roblox is at an inflection point and could see its stock price more than double from here, according to Morgan Stanley. —Pia Singh, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024

An election that has been cast as an inflection point in American history has come down to pockets of undecided voters, often hard-to-reach citizens who are not paying close attention to politics. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024

The auto insurance market is still very much at an inflection point, with trends continuing to buck the norm and consumers shopping at higher rates. —Bill Madison, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1708, in the meaning defined at sense 2