tipping point
The term "tipping point" describes a critical threshold where a minor change leads to significant, often irreversible effects. Popularized by Malcolm Gladwell's book, it is used in various fields such as sociology, climatology, and physics.
Definition
B2General
(common)A critical moment where a small change leads to significant and often irreversible effects.
Example
- The introduction of smartphones marked a tipping point in the way people communicate.
- The market reached a tipping point, causing prices to skyrocket.
C1Sociology
(academic)The moment when a previously rare practice becomes widely adopted, rapidly changing group behavior.
Example
- Social media reached a tipping point, becoming an integral part of daily life.
- The civil rights movement hit a tipping point, leading to widespread social change.
C1Climatology
(technical, academic)A threshold in the climate system beyond which changes become irreversible and dramatic.
Example
- Scientists warn that the melting of polar ice caps is approaching a tipping point.
- The Amazon rainforest could reach a tipping point, turning into a savannah.
C2Physics
(technical, academic)The critical point at which a small input causes a system to switch states abruptly.
Example
- In a hysteresis loop, the tipping point is where the system rapidly changes state.
- The tipping point in the magnetic field caused the material to lose its magnetism.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "tipping point":
turning pointbreaking pointtransition pointcritical pointinflection pointtip offtip overtip the scalesticking pointpoint of no return