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

This industry is at an inflection point with the onset of interactive gaming. —Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025

This year’s research signals a clear inflection point. —Janett Haas, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

That incident proved an inflection point for Trudeau’s tenure. —Paula Newton, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025

My thought bubble: This is a dangerous inflection point and giving a computer limbs is not a step to be taken lightly. —Ina Fried, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1708, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for inflection point

• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint
• midpoint
• nonpoint
• pinpoint
• standpoint