"fork in the road" meaning in English

See fork in the road in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: forks in the road [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun|forks in the road}} fork in the road (plural forks in the road)
  1. A junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads. Synonyms: crossroads Translations (junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads): ayrıc (Azerbaijani), yolayrıcı (Azerbaijani), vork in de weg [feminine] (Dutch), splitsing in de weg [feminine] (Dutch), tienhaara (Finnish), bifurcation [feminine] (French), embranchement [masculine] (French), צומת דרכים (Hebrew), ផ្លូវច្រមុះជ្រូក (phləwcrɑɑmuhcruuk) (Khmer), កែង (kaeng) (Khmer), bivium [neuter] (Latin), rozdroże [neuter] (Polish), rozstaj [masculine] (Polish), разви́лка (razvílka) [feminine] (Russian), распу́тье (raspútʹje) [neuter] (Russian), vägskäl [neuter] (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-fork_in_the_road-en-noun-4PxD9IAj Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Azerbaijani translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Hebrew translations, Terms with Khmer translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Roads Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 72 28 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 77 23 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 88 12 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 91 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Azerbaijani translations: 79 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 77 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 79 21 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 77 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Hebrew translations: 79 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Khmer translations: 79 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 76 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 80 20 Disambiguation of Roads: 91 9 Disambiguation of 'junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads': 95 5
  2. (figuratively) A critical moment or point in life or in a situation where one must make an important decision between two or more divergent options or paths. Tags: figuratively
    Sense id: en-fork_in_the_road-en-noun-Dn8h~m7I

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "forks in the road",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "forks in the road"
      },
      "expansion": "fork in the road (plural forks in the road)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "72 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "88 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "91 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Azerbaijani translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hebrew translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Khmer translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Latin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "91 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Roads",
          "orig": "en:Roads",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads."
      ],
      "id": "en-fork_in_the_road-en-noun-4PxD9IAj",
      "links": [
        [
          "junction",
          "junction"
        ],
        [
          "divergent",
          "divergent"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "crossroads"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "lang_code": "az",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "word": "ayrıc"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "lang_code": "az",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "word": "yolayrıcı"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "lang_code": "nl",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "vork in de weg"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "lang_code": "nl",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "splitsing in de weg"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "word": "tienhaara"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "bifurcation"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "embranchement"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "lang_code": "he",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "word": "צומת דרכים"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "km",
          "lang": "Khmer",
          "lang_code": "km",
          "roman": "phləwcrɑɑmuhcruuk",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "word": "ផ្លូវច្រមុះជ្រូក"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "km",
          "lang": "Khmer",
          "lang_code": "km",
          "roman": "kaeng",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "word": "កែង"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "lang_code": "la",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "bivium"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "rozdroże"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "rozstaj"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "razvílka",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "разви́лка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "raspútʹje",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "распу́тье"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "vägskäl"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              25,
              47
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1997, Billie Joe Armstrong, “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”, performed by Green Day:",
          "text": "Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road\nTime grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A critical moment or point in life or in a situation where one must make an important decision between two or more divergent options or paths."
      ],
      "id": "en-fork_in_the_road-en-noun-Dn8h~m7I",
      "links": [
        [
          "critical",
          "critical"
        ],
        [
          "moment",
          "moment"
        ],
        [
          "point",
          "point"
        ],
        [
          "life",
          "life"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ],
        [
          "important",
          "important"
        ],
        [
          "decision",
          "decision"
        ],
        [
          "divergent",
          "divergent"
        ],
        [
          "option",
          "option"
        ],
        [
          "path",
          "path"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) A critical moment or point in life or in a situation where one must make an important decision between two or more divergent options or paths."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "fork in the road"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Azerbaijani translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Hebrew translations",
    "Terms with Khmer translations",
    "Terms with Latin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "en:Roads"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "forks in the road",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "forks in the road"
      },
      "expansion": "fork in the road (plural forks in the road)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "junction",
          "junction"
        ],
        [
          "divergent",
          "divergent"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "crossroads"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              25,
              47
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1997, Billie Joe Armstrong, “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”, performed by Green Day:",
          "text": "Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road\nTime grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A critical moment or point in life or in a situation where one must make an important decision between two or more divergent options or paths."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "critical",
          "critical"
        ],
        [
          "moment",
          "moment"
        ],
        [
          "point",
          "point"
        ],
        [
          "life",
          "life"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ],
        [
          "important",
          "important"
        ],
        [
          "decision",
          "decision"
        ],
        [
          "divergent",
          "divergent"
        ],
        [
          "option",
          "option"
        ],
        [
          "path",
          "path"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) A critical moment or point in life or in a situation where one must make an important decision between two or more divergent options or paths."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "lang_code": "az",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "word": "ayrıc"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "lang_code": "az",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "word": "yolayrıcı"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "vork in de weg"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "splitsing in de weg"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "word": "tienhaara"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "bifurcation"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "embranchement"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "lang_code": "he",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "word": "צומת דרכים"
    },
    {
      "code": "km",
      "lang": "Khmer",
      "lang_code": "km",
      "roman": "phləwcrɑɑmuhcruuk",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "word": "ផ្លូវច្រមុះជ្រូក"
    },
    {
      "code": "km",
      "lang": "Khmer",
      "lang_code": "km",
      "roman": "kaeng",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "word": "កែង"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "lang_code": "la",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "bivium"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "rozdroże"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "rozstaj"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "razvílka",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "разви́лка"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "raspútʹje",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "распу́тье"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "junction in which one road becomes two divergent roads",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "vägskäl"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fork in the road"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-03-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-03-03 using wiktextract (05c257f and 9d9a410). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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