Meaning & use
inflection point
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Meanings
nouncountablefigurativebusiness
A moment when a trend or situation begins to change significantly in direction or speed, after which things look quite different.
Grammar: Countable: reach an inflection point, several inflection points.
Patterns
- reach an inflection point
- at an inflection point
The pandemic marked an inflection point for online shopping.
The company is at an inflection point and must choose a new strategy.
Analysts see this quarter as an inflection point for the economy.
nouncountablemathematicstechnical
A point on a curve where it changes from bending one way to bending the other way.
Grammar: Countable; used in math: the graph has one inflection point.
Patterns
- an inflection point on a curve
- find the inflection point of a function
The curve has an inflection point at x equals two.
Students found the inflection point of the function by using the second derivative.
Word forms
| plural | inflection points |
|---|
Common combinations
- reach an inflection point
- Solar power has reached an inflection point in cost.
- at an inflection point
- The city is at an inflection point in its history.
- a major inflection point
- The merger was a major inflection point for both firms.
- mark an inflection point
- The election could mark an inflection point for the country.
- find the inflection point
- Use calculus to find the inflection point of the curve.
Synonyms and how they differ
- turning point
- Turning point is the everyday phrase; inflection point suggests a measurable change in a trend or curve.
- tipping point
- Tipping point is the moment small changes suddenly trigger a big effect, while an inflection point is when the trend itself shifts.
- watershed
- Watershed refers to a historic dividing moment, and sounds more final than inflection point.
- crossroads
- Crossroads stresses a choice between paths, but an inflection point stresses that change is already happening.
Word family
- inflect verb
- to change form or bend, as a word or a voice
- inflection noun
- a change in pitch or form; also the act of bending
- inflectional adjective
- relating to inflection
Commonly confused: inflection point or infection point? inflection point or tipping point?
inflection point vs infection point
Infection point is a spelling mistake or a different medical term; the correct word here is inflection.
inflection point vs tipping point
A tipping point is when a change becomes unstoppable, whereas an inflection point is when the direction of a trend changes.
Practice
Sales had been rising slowly for years, but the new product was the ___ after which growth jumped sharply.
Choose one answer.
An inflection point is when a trend changes direction or pace. Infection point and reflection point are not correct here, and starting line suggests the beginning, not a change.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inflection point”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.