defining moment

NOUN

very crucial moment

Synonyms

WEAK

climax critical moment crunch decisive moment kairos kairotic moment loaded moment moment of truth point of no return turning point

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Today marks the next phase of the Arm compute platform and a defining moment for our company.”

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

The gaffe became a defining moment of Quayle’s term.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

This is a defining moment for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Father James Martin: This was a defining moment for me.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

This was the defining moment in the correspondence.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis