Word
crises
Phoneticscrises
US/ˈkɹaɪsiz/
UK/kɹˈaɪsiːz/
Definition
n. more than one crisis; several times of great danger or trouble that need quick action.
n. the plural of 'crisis', referring to multiple events or periods characterized by extreme instability or danger.
Examples
“The government is dealing with several economic crises at once.”
“After the flood and the power outage, the city council had to manage two major crises in a single week.”
“Historians often study how successive political crises can weaken the foundations of a democracy over several decades, leading to a total collapse of public trust in the system.”
Examples
simple
“The government is dealing with several economic crises at once.”
contextual
“After the flood and the power outage, the city council had to manage two major crises in a single week.”
complex
“Historians often study how successive political crises can weaken the foundations of a democracy over several decades, leading to a total collapse of public trust in the system.”
Usage
The word is pronounced 'cry-seez', unlike the singular 'cry-sis'.
Teaching tip
Learners often struggle with the pronunciation change from singular /sɪs/ to plural /siːz/. Point out that this follows the pattern of other Greek-origin words like 'analyses' and 'hypotheses'.
Pitfall
The country faced many crisises.
The country faced many crises.
The plural of 'crisis' is 'crises' (ending in -es), not 'crisises'.
Real-World Examples
“Yet, the plastics and climate crises have remained siloed , even as fossil fuel companies themselves are now turning to plastics production in the face of increased global demand for renewables.” “Less healthy foods in supermarkets are also cheaper than they were three decades ago, while there have been several cost-of-living crises in recent years.” Synonyms
Antonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/crises