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

Experts liken this moment to historical infrastructure build-outs, but with unprecedented urgency, marking a critical inflection point for technology. — Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Analyst Lorraine Hutchinson wrote that the weak China sales were countered with an inflection point in margins. — Liz Napolitano,hugh Leask,lee Ying Shan,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 30 June 2026

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

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