Word of the Day

: September 21, 2020

juncture

noun JUNK-cher

What It Means

1 : a point of time; especially : one made critical by a concurrence of circumstances

2 : joint, connection

3 : an instance of joining : junction

juncture in Context

"At this juncture in the editing process," said Philip, "it is important that all facts have been double-checked and sources verified."

"'Palm Springs' further cements [Andy] Samberg as one of the funniest talents in comedy today. From cult-classics such as 'Hot Rod' and 'Popstar' to the hit sitcom, 'Brooklyn-Nine-Nine,' his comedic chops are hall-of-fame-level at this juncture." — Austin Ellis, The Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, Iowa), 17 July 2020

Did You Know?

Juncture has many relatives—both obvious and obscure—in English. Juncture derives from the Latin verb jungere ("to join"), which gave us not only join and junction but also conjugal ("relating to marriage") and junta ("a group of persons controlling a government"). Jungere also has distant etymological connections to joust, jugular, juxtapose, yoga, and yoke. The use of juncture in English dates back to the 14th century. Originally, the word meant "a place where two or more things are joined," but by the 17th century it could also be used of an important point in time or of a stage in a process or activity.