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

Is Google positioned at a similar inflection point today? —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

Seeing the identity security market at an inflection point as a result of AI initiatives, the firm initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating and $140 price target. —Sean Conlon, CNBC, 5 May 2025

The deportation and the debate over his return has served as a key inflection point as President Donald Trump rolls out his immigration policies. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

The partnership comes at a time when retail is at an inflection point. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 May 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