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

Minneapolis is at an inflection point. —Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026

By 9, Liam had reached an inflection point. —Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026

Strategic Implications for Enterprises Organizations evaluating physical AI should recognize that the technology has reached an inflection point. —Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026

The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday seems to be pushing this dynamic further, and feels like an inflection point similar to the one created by Floyd’s death. —Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 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