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 development comes at an inflection point in the transportation industry. Tyler Spence, The Indianapolis Star, 11 July 2024 But Dixon claims the technology is approaching an inflection point. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 3 July 2024 For Republicans, 2020 represented an inflection point in terms of support for different types of energy. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 28 June 2024 But the scenes captured in the latest footage mark an inflection point in the long-simmering tensions, with China adopting new, far more openly aggressive tactics that, analysts say, appear calculated to test how the Philippines and its key defense ally – the United States – will respond. Nectar Gan, CNN, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for inflection point 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inflection point.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1708, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of inflection point was circa 1708

Dictionary Entries Near inflection point

Cite this Entry

“Inflection point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflection%20point. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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