Standard Lemma guide

juncture

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈd͡ʒʌŋk.tʃə(ɹ)/
  • US: /ˈd͡ʒʌŋk.t͡ʃɚ/
  • US: /ˈd͡ʒʌŋk.ʃɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: JH AH1 NG K CH ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A place where things join, a junction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: combination, composite, conjunction, fusion, junction, juncture, melding, merger, unification, union, unity

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A critical moment in time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We're at a crucial juncture in our relationship.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: point in time, sith, instant, juncture, minute, moment, occasion, time

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The manner of moving (transition) or mode of relationship between two consecutive sounds; a suprasegmental phonemic cue, by which a listener can distinguish between two otherwise identical sequences of sounds that have different meanings.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an event that occurs at a critical time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • at such junctures he always had an impulse to leave
  • it was needed only on special occasions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: occasion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: happening, occurrence, occurrent, natural event

Narrower terms: climax, flood tide, conjuncture, crisis, landmark, turning point, watershed, milestone, pass, head, straits, reality check

5

noun

Meaning 5

the shape or manner in which things come together and a connection is made

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: articulation, join, joint, junction

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: connection, connexion, link

Narrower terms: esophagogastric junction, oesophagogastric junction

6

noun

Meaning 6

a crisis situation or point in time when a critical decision must be made

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • at that juncture he had no idea what to do
  • he must be made to realize that the company stands at a critical point

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: critical point, crossroads

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: crisis

Narrower terms: criticality

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English juncture, from Latin iūnctūra. Doublet of jointure.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: وُصْل (wuṣl) — junction
  • Bulgarian: съединение (sǎedinenie) — junction
  • Bulgarian: шев (šev) — junction
  • Catalan: juntura — junction
  • Czech: spojení — junction
  • Dutch: aanhechtingspunt — junction
  • Dutch: verbinding — junction
  • Finnish: risteys — junction
  • Finnish: liitoskohta — junction
  • French: jonction — junction
  • Georgian: შეერთების წერტილი (šeertebis c̣erṭili) — junction
  • Georgian: შესართავი (šesartavi) — junction
  • Georgian: გაერთიანება (gaertianeba) — junction
  • Georgian: შეერთების ადგილი (šeertebis adgili) — junction
  • German: Verbindungspunkt — junction
  • German: Verbindungsstelle — junction
  • Irish: acomhal — junction
  • Italian: congiuntura — junction
  • Portuguese: juntura — junction
  • Russian: стык (styk) — junction
  • Russian: соедине́ние (sojedinénije) — junction
  • Russian: спай (spaj) — junction
  • Russian: ме́сто соедине́ния (mésto sojedinénija) — junction
  • Spanish: juntura — junction
  • Welsh: cydiad — junction
  • Welsh: cyswllt — junction
  • Arabic: فُتْرَة حَاسِمَة (futra ḥāsima) — critical moment in time
  • Bulgarian: критичен момент (kritičen moment) — critical moment in time
  • Czech: klíčový okamžik — critical moment in time
  • Dutch: kantelpunt — critical moment in time
  • Finnish: käännekohta — critical moment in time
  • German: (kritischer) Augenblick — critical moment in time
  • German: Zeitpunkt — critical moment in time
  • German: Stelle — critical moment in time
  • Russian: конъюнкту́ра (konʺjunktúra) — critical moment in time
  • Russian: стече́ние обстоя́тельств (stečénije obstojátelʹstv) — critical moment in time
  • Russian: положе́ние дел (položénije del) — critical moment in time
  • Welsh: cyswllt — critical moment in time
  • Czech: předěl — manner of transition between two consecutive sounds
  • Czech: junktura — manner of transition between two consecutive sounds
  • Finnish: junktuuri — manner of transition between two consecutive sounds
  • French: joncture — manner of transition between two consecutive sounds
  • German: Junktur — manner of transition between two consecutive sounds
  • Welsh: cyplysiad — manner of transition between two consecutive sounds
Real reading context

juncture in complete knowledge articles

The Five Keys Ideas & learning · Accessible · 1 uses