juncture

noun junc·ture \ ˈjəŋ(k)-chər \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of juncture

1 : a point of time

at this juncture

; especially : one made critical by a concurrence of circumstances

2 a : joint, connection

b : the manner of transition or mode of relationship between two consecutive sounds in speech

3 : an instance of joining : junction

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Examples of juncture in a Sentence

Negotiations between the countries reached a critical juncture.
At this juncture it looks like they are going to get a divorce.
the juncture of two rivers

Recent Examples of juncture from the Web

Those dark hours of inconceivable inaction are the defining juncture for the last surviving Kennedy brother.

— jenna russell, BostonGlobe.com, "How much of ‘Chappaquiddick’ is actually true?," 4 Apr. 2018
Strasburg had 94 strikeouts (10 walks) at this juncture.

— kirk kenney, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Colbase wrapup: Toreros avert sweep with shutout at USF; Tritons take three of four from East Bay," 31 Mar. 2018
Bolton’s arrival comes at a critical juncture for the presidency.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "“Acerbic, Condescending, Gruff, Demeaning”: Will John Bolton Become Trump’s Warmonger Rasputin, or Just His Next Mooch?," 30 Mar. 2018
At a critical juncture when the walls were closing in, Timothée spent a couple hours with one of his personal gods, Kid Cudi.

— keith caulfield, Billboard, "Timothee Chalamet Freaks Out Over Kid Cudi Calling Him His Favorite Artist: 'Strike Me the F--- Down'," 27 Mar. 2018
The kind and very pregnant wife does not need to be told that her husband is cheating with an employee at this juncture.

— abby, Houston Chronicle, "Son throws a tantrum after wedding gift is cut in half," 14 Mar. 2018
Gracia lamented the penalty miss at what was a crucial juncture in the game.

— SI.com, "Javi Gracia Laments Troy Deeney Penalty Miss As Watford Slip to Defeat at Arsenal," 12 Mar. 2018
The men's team still looks too light on paper at this juncture to challenge for a team title, but that view could change when action begins outdoors.

— ken goe, OregonLive.com, "Ducks get ready for final season at current Hayward Field: Oregon track & field rundown," 12 Mar. 2018
At this juncture, the Colts’ starter at inside linebacker is Antonio Morrison, who often takes poor tackling lanes and can be exposed for his lack of speed.

— zak keefer, Indianapolis Star, "NFL Combine: 5 players for the Colts to watch," 27 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'juncture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Juncture has many relatives in English - and some of them are easy to spot, whereas others are not so obvious. Juncture derives from the Latin verb jungere (to join), which gave us not only join and junction but also conjugal (relating to marriage) and junta (a group of persons controlling a government). Jungere also has distant etymological connections to joust, jugular, juxtapose, yoga and yoke. The use of juncture in English dates back to the 14th century. Originally, the word meant "a place where two or more things are joined," but by the 17th century it could also be used of an important point in time or of a stage in a process or activity.

First Known Use of juncture

14th century

juncture Synonyms

Synonyms

boiling point, breaking point, clutch, conjuncture, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, emergency, exigency, extremity, flash point, head, tinderbox, zero hour;

Related Words

contingency, possibility;

climax, turning point;

happening, landmark, milestone;

condition, pass, situation, strait;

deadlock, impasse, stalemate;

corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, last ditch, pinch, predicament, scrape, spot;

eleventh hour, last minute;

Phrases

moment of truth, point of no return;

Synonym Discussion of juncture

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs. juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.