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

That’s because the typical retirement age coincides with an inflection point in cognitive health around when dementia risk may increase. — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026

But while a more coherent and correct spotting may have affected the fourth-down decision, and perhaps the course of the game, the inflection point wasn’t the call. — Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

After this dramatic inflection point, which has come to be known as the blip, Greg took a three-month leave of absence. — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026

Analyst Joseph Spak said Rivian's recent sell-off presents a buying opportunity ahead of an inflection point in sales of the R2 midsize SUV. — Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 2 Nov. 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