defining momentnoun [ C ]
uk/dɪˌfaɪ.nɪŋ ˈməʊ.mənt/us/dɪˌfaɪ.nɪŋ ˈmoʊ.mənt/the point at which a situation is clearly seen to start to change:
The end of the Cold War was a defining moment for the world in more ways than one.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Turning points & deciding moments
- be at a crossroads idiom
- boiling point
- breakthrough
- brink
- climax
- coming of age
- crunch
- edge
- if/when it comes to the crunch idiom
- landmark
- make-or-break
- milestone
- moment
- road
- road to Damascus idiom
- the moment of truth idiom
- turning point
- U-turn
- volte-face
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