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

These inflection points prompted community action as an instinct, laying the groundwork for this harrowing moment. —Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026

If that 45-day minimum before the TVOD window is breached, that inflection point leads to massive erosion of theatrical revenue. —Joseph M. Singer, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026

There’s no infantilizing of the intended young audience, but a conscious effort to address life’s difficult inflection points. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026

More than half a century later, the Great Lakes have again reached an inflection point. —Theodore J. Karamanski, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 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