"tipping point" meaning in English

See tipping point in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: tipping points [plural]
Etymology: First use of the term appears c. 1959 in the New York Times. Head templates: {{en-noun}} tipping point (plural tipping points)
  1. (mathematics, catastrophe theory, figuratively, by extension) The point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible, often with dramatic consequences. Tags: broadly, figuratively Categories (topical): Mathematics, Climate change Translations (the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible): 引爆點 (Chinese Mandarin), 引爆点 (yǐnbàodiǎn) (Chinese Mandarin), 臨界點 (Chinese Mandarin), 临界点 (línjièdiǎn) (Chinese Mandarin), keikahduspiste (Finnish), point de bascule [masculine] (French), point critique [masculine] (French), Kipppunkt [masculine] (German), Wendepunkt [masculine] (German), hvarfpunktur [masculine] (Icelandic), ponto de inflexão [masculine] (Portuguese), punct critic (Romanian), punto de inflexión [masculine] (Spanish), momento crítico [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-tipping_point-en-noun-K75E9P8f Disambiguation of Climate change: 20 28 28 24 Topics: mathematics, sciences Disambiguation of 'the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible': 49 16 22 13
  2. (sociology) A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice. Categories (topical): Sociology, Climate change
    Sense id: en-tipping_point-en-noun-7NYrRuLf Disambiguation of Climate change: 20 28 28 24 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 39 40 17 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 2 44 46 8 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 5 39 41 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 39 40 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 4 42 43 11 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 4 42 43 12 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 3 42 44 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 4 41 42 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 6 39 39 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 4 41 41 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 4 41 41 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 4 41 41 14 Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology
  3. (sociology) A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice.
    The point in time at which some new technology becomes mainstream.
    Categories (topical): Sociology, Climate change
    Sense id: en-tipping_point-en-noun-~jtAEXd8 Disambiguation of Climate change: 20 28 28 24 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 39 40 17 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 2 44 46 8 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 5 39 41 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 39 40 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 4 42 43 11 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 4 42 43 12 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 3 42 44 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 4 41 42 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 6 39 39 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 4 41 41 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 4 41 41 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 4 41 41 14 Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology
  4. (climatology) An irreversible change in the climate system. Categories (topical): Climatology, Climate change Translations (irreversible change in the climate system): Klimakipppunkt [masculine] (German)
    Sense id: en-tipping_point-en-noun-HgHDisIA Disambiguation of Climate change: 20 28 28 24 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 39 40 17 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 5 39 41 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 39 40 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 4 42 43 11 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 4 42 43 12 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 3 42 44 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 4 41 42 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 6 39 39 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 4 41 41 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 4 41 41 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 4 41 41 14 Topics: climatology, natural-sciences Disambiguation of 'irreversible change in the climate system': 4 20 21 54
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: catastrophe theory, critical point, watershed moment, turning point

Inflected forms

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          "text": "Coordinate term: tipping element"
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          "ref": "2005 August 11, Ian Sample, “Warming hits 'tipping point'”, in The Guardian:",
          "text": "It is a scenario climate scientists have feared since first identifying \"tipping points\" - delicate thresholds where a slight rise in the Earth's temperature can cause a dramatic change in the environment that itself triggers a far greater increase in global temperatures.",
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          "ref": "2021 August 5, Damian Carrington, “Climate crisis: Scientists spot warning signs of Gulf Stream collapse”, in The Guardian:",
          "text": "Climate scientists have detected warning signs of the collapse of the Gulf Stream, one of the planet’s main potential tipping points.",
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        "(climatology) An irreversible change in the climate system."
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          "_dis1": "4 20 21 54",
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  "wikipedia": [
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  "word": "tipping point"
}
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        "(mathematics, catastrophe theory, figuratively, by extension) The point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible, often with dramatic consequences."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "mathematics",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Sociology"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sociology",
          "sociology"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sociology) A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "sciences",
        "social-science",
        "sociology"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Sociology"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice.",
        "The point in time at which some new technology becomes mainstream."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sociology",
          "sociology"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ],
        [
          "time",
          "time"
        ],
        [
          "technology",
          "technology"
        ],
        [
          "mainstream",
          "mainstream"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sociology) A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice.",
        "The point in time at which some new technology becomes mainstream."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "sciences",
        "social-science",
        "sociology"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Climatology"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: tipping element"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005 August 11, Ian Sample, “Warming hits 'tipping point'”, in The Guardian:",
          "text": "It is a scenario climate scientists have feared since first identifying \"tipping points\" - delicate thresholds where a slight rise in the Earth's temperature can cause a dramatic change in the environment that itself triggers a far greater increase in global temperatures.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 August 5, Damian Carrington, “Climate crisis: Scientists spot warning signs of Gulf Stream collapse”, in The Guardian:",
          "text": "Climate scientists have detected warning signs of the collapse of the Gulf Stream, one of the planet’s main potential tipping points.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An irreversible change in the climate system."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "climatology",
          "climatology"
        ],
        [
          "irreversible",
          "irreversible"
        ],
        [
          "climate system",
          "climate system"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(climatology) An irreversible change in the climate system."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "climatology",
        "natural-sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "word": "引爆點"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "yǐnbàodiǎn",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "word": "引爆点"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "word": "臨界點"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "línjièdiǎn",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "word": "临界点"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "word": "keikahduspiste"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "point de bascule"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "point critique"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Kipppunkt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Wendepunkt"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "hvarfpunktur"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ponto de inflexão"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "word": "punct critic"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "punto de inflexión"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "momento crítico"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "irreversible change in the climate system",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Klimakipppunkt"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "New York Times"
  ],
  "word": "tipping point"
}

Download raw JSONL data for tipping point meaning in English (6.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). 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.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.