Phrase guide

turning point

noun · 7 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A decisive point at which a significant change or historical event occurs, or at which a decision must be made.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crossroads, watershed

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A maximum or minimum on a graph.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: calculus, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A crossroads.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: road, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A T-junction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: road, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A place at which one changes their direction of travel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: road, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the intersection of two streets

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • standing on the corner watching all the girls go by

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: corner, street corner

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: intersection, crossroad, crossway, crossing, carrefour

Narrower terms: blind corner

7

noun

Meaning 7

an event marking a unique or important historical change of course or one on which important developments depend

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the agreement was a watershed in the history of both nations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: landmark, watershed

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: juncture, occasion

Narrower terms: Fall of Man, road to Damascus

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

62 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: keerpunt — decisive point
  • Arabic: نقطة تحوّل — decisive point
  • Bulgarian: повратна точка (povratna točka) — decisive point
  • Chinese Mandarin: 轉折點 /转折点 (zhuǎnzhédiǎn) — decisive point
  • Danish: vendepunkt — decisive point
  • Dutch: keerpunt — decisive point
  • Dutch: wendepunt — decisive point
  • Finnish: käännekohta — decisive point
  • Finnish: murros — decisive point
  • French: tournant — decisive point
  • French: moment charnière — decisive point
  • Galician: punto de inflexión — decisive point
  • Georgian: გარდამტეხი წერტილი (gardamṭexi c̣erṭili) — decisive point
  • Georgian: გარდატეხის წერტილი (gardaṭexis c̣erṭili) — decisive point
  • Georgian: გარდამტეხი მომენტი (gardamṭexi momenṭi) — decisive point
  • Georgian: გადამწყვეტი წერტილი (gadamc̣q̇veṭi c̣erṭili) — decisive point
  • Georgian: გადამწყვეტი მომენტი (gadamc̣q̇veṭi momenṭi) — decisive point
  • German: Wendepunkt — decisive point
  • German: Zäsur — decisive point
  • Hebrew: נקודת מפנה — decisive point
  • Hungarian: fordulópont — decisive point
  • Icelandic: þáttaskil — decisive point
  • Italian: svolta — decisive point
  • Italian: inversione — decisive point
  • Japanese: 転機 (tenki) — decisive point
  • Japanese: 変わり目 (kawarime) — decisive point
  • Korean: 전기 (jeon'gi) — decisive point
  • Korean: 전환점 (jeonhwanjeom) — decisive point
  • Latin: discrīmen — decisive point
  • Māori: taihuringa — decisive point
  • Norwegian Bokmål: vendepunkt — decisive point
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: vendepunkt — decisive point
  • Persian: نقطهی عطف — decisive point
  • Persian: دگرگونگاه — decisive point
  • Polish: punkt zwrotny — decisive point
  • Portuguese: virada de mesa — decisive point
  • Portuguese: ponto de inflexão — decisive point
  • Romanian: punct de cotitură — decisive point
  • Russian: перело́мный моме́нт (perelómnyj momént) — decisive point
  • Russian: поворо́тный моме́нт (povorótnyj momént) — decisive point
  • Russian: поворо́тный пункт (povorótnyj punkt) — decisive point
  • Spanish: punto de inflexión — decisive point
  • Swedish: vändpunkt — decisive point
  • Thai: จุดวิกฤต (jùt-wí-grʉ̀t) — decisive point
  • Turkish: dönüm noktası — decisive point
  • Turkish: dönemeç — decisive point
  • Ukrainian: перело́мний моме́нт (perelómnyj momént) — decisive point
  • Ukrainian: поворо́тний моме́нт (povorótnyj momént) — decisive point
  • Ukrainian: поворо́тний пункт (povorótnyj punkt) — decisive point
  • Ukrainian: перело́м (perelóm) — decisive point
  • Vietnamese: bước ngoặt — decisive point
  • Vietnamese: bước quyết định — decisive point
  • Bulgarian: екстремум (ekstremum) — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • Danish: vendepunkt — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • Finnish: ääriarvo — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • Finnish: käännepiste — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • German: Extremwert — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • Norwegian: vendepunkt — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • Polish: ekstremum funkcji — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • Swedish: extremvärde — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • Thai: จุดวกกลับ (jùt-wók-glàp) — (calculus) maximum or minimum
  • Turkish: kırılma noktası — (calculus) maximum or minimum