Definition

Noun: 1. A decisive moment or event that marks a significant change in direction, development, or outcome. It is the point at which a very important change happens, often determining the future course of events. 2. A point at which a road or path changes direction; a bend or curve.

Examples

• Noun (Significant Change):
  • The invention of the internet was a turning point in global communication.
  • Winning that championship was the turning point in the team's history.
  • The patient's recovery began after a critical turning point in her treatment.
• Noun (Change in Direction):
  • Be careful when you reach the sharp turning point in the mountain road.

Advanced Usage

• "To reach a turning point": To arrive at a moment of critical change.
  • The negotiations have reached a turning point; we should know the result soon.
• "To mark a turning point": To signify or be the event that causes the major change.
  • The treaty marked a turning point in relations between the two countries.

Variants and Related Words

• Turn (verb/noun): The core action of changing direction or the point of change itself.
• Turning (noun): The act or process of changing direction; a place where a road branches off.

Synonyms

• Watershed: An event or period marking a turning point in a situation.
• Crossroads: A point at which a crucial decision must be made.
• Pivot: A central point on which something turns or depends.
• Milestone: A significant stage or event in development.
• Crisis point: A moment of intense difficulty or danger where change is imminent.

Idioms and Phrases

• A turning point in one's life: A moment that fundamentally changes the course of a person's life.
  • Meeting my mentor was a turning point in my life.
• The turning of the tide: A point where a situation starts to change in the opposite direction.
  • The successful product launch represented the turning of the tide for the struggling company.

Noun

1. the intersection of two streets
   • standing on the corner watching all the girls go by
2. an event marking a unique or important historical change of course or one on which important developments depend
   • the agreement was a watershed in the history of both nations