tipping point
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tipping point
Where it comes from
First use of the term appears c. 1959 in the New York Times.
noun tipping points
- The point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible, often with dramatic consequences.
- A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice.
- The point in time at which some new technology becomes mainstream.
- An irreversible change in the climate system. It is a scenario climate scientists have feared since first identifying "tipping points" - delicate thresholds where a slight rise in the Earth's temperature can cause a dramatic change in the environment that itself triggers a far greater increase in global temperatures.
Translations
Every language
noun the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible
| Español | punto de inflexión, momento crítico |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 引爆點 /引爆点 yǐnbàodiǎn, 臨界點 /临界点 línjièdiǎn |
| Português | ponto de inflexão |
| Français | point de bascule, point critique |
| Deutsch | Kipppunkt, Wendepunkt |
| Română | punct critic |
noun irreversible change in the climate system
| Deutsch | Klimakipppunkt |
|---|
Talk about this word "tipping point." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tipping%20point. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tipping point. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tipping%20point "tipping point." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tipping%20point.Cite this
@misc{tipping_point_2026,
title = {tipping point},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tipping%20point},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
