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 rescue effort in Venezuela has reached a grim inflection point. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 28 June 2026

For me, that leadership-preparation moment was the inflection point. — Swapnil Deshpande, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

With John Gibson showing well last season for the Red Wings and top prospect Trey Augustine turning pro after a stellar collegiate career, Cossa is reaching an inflection point for his time in Detroit. — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 June 2026

No peacekeepers were sent to save El Fasher, as had been done at other inflection points in other wars. — Janine Di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 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