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

The civilizational inflection point in our cold civil war happened sometime between Donald Trump's second inaugural address on Monday and the end of his new presidency's second day on Tuesday. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025

No matter how much veteran coaches or players like to keep an 82-game marathon in perspective and avoid riding the highs and lows of particular weeks, the Warriors are once again at an inflection point in what has already been a roller-coaster season. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025

This Year’s List 52 Places to Go in 2025 But identifying themes and inflection points in the list-making was more complicated. —Amy Virshup, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025

Many point to Roan’s fiery performances at Coachella in April 2024 as the inflection point of her charging from cult favorite to Rolling Stone-worthy cover girl. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1708, in the meaning defined at sense 2