turning point

Noun

turning point (plural turning points)

1. (idiomatic) A decisive point at which a significant change or historical event occurs, or at which a decision must be made.
   • Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road / Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go1997, Billie Joe Armstrong, “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”, performed by Green Day
   • Europe will be watching the final battle closely. A Hollande victory in the second round would be a turning point in European politics, a rare victory for the left in Europe, which has in recent years moved towards the right2012 April 23, Angelique Chrisafis, “François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms:

   crossroads, watershed

2. A maximum or minimum on a graph.
3. A crossroads.
4. A T-junction.
5. A place at which one changes their direction of travel.
   • Chicago was the turning point of my journey and I left there at midnight abroad ^([sic]) the "Chicagoan," an express of the New York Central System.1953 July, Allen Rowley, “First Impressions of American Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 493