crisis
n.-
1 an unstable situation (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea time of great danger or trouble, especially in politics or the economy.
an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending, often with the possibility of a highly undesirable outcome.
ExampleThe government is meeting today to discuss the current economic crisis.
ExampleThe sudden collapse of the national bank triggered a financial crisis that spread rapidly across the global markets.
UsageThe plural form is 'crises'.
PitfallThe country is facing many crisises.The country is facing many crises.The plural of crisis is crises, pronounced with a long 'ee' sound at the end.
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2 a personal turning point (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Psychologya very difficult or stressful time in your life.
a traumatic or stressful change in a person's life, often requiring significant psychological adjustment.
ExampleHe went through a midlife crisis and decided to change his career entirely.
ExampleAfter the loss of her business, she experienced a personal crisis that forced her to re-evaluate her long-term goals.
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3 medical turning point (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Medicinethe moment in a serious illness when a patient either starts to get better or gets much worse.
the change in the course of a disease which indicates whether the patient will recover or succumb.
ExampleThe doctor said the patient's fever has reached a crisis tonight.
ExampleThe medical team monitored the patient closely, knowing that once the crisis passed, the recovery phase could finally begin.
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4 drama or literature (n.) C2 Proficiency Academic Theatrethe most exciting or important part of a story before the ending.
the point in a play or story at which the tension reaches its highest point and must be resolved.
ExampleThe play reaches its crisis in the second act when the secret is revealed.
ExampleIn classical tragedy, the crisis serves as the structural pivot where the protagonist's fortunes take an irreversible turn toward the final catastrophe.
From Latin crisis, from Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis, “a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute”), from κρίνω (krínō, “pick out, choose, decide, judge”).