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

Almost none of this addresses a potentially significant inflection point in the careers of some senior women. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Every major franchise reaches this inflection point with their aging players where the bill comes due. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026

The evolution of homicidal doll Chucky has been a real trip since his debut in 1988, and 1998's Bride of Chucky marked an inflection point toward gonzo surreality under the direction of Hong Kong action-horror master Ronny Yu. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026

In each case, the inflection point occurred when the technology achieved near-total distribution—ownership, modification, and integration into diverse local contexts by a broad population of users, developers, and enterprises. — Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

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