crisis

/ˈkrī-səs/

Middle English crise, crisis, borrowed from Latin crisis "judgment, critical stage," borrowed from Greek krísis "act of separating, decision, judgment, event, outcome, turning point, sudden change," from kri-, variant stem of krī́nein "to separate, choose, decide, judge" + -sis, suffix forming nouns of action or process

noun

  1. the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever

  2. a paroxysmal attack of pain, distress, or disordered function

  3. an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person's life

juncture exigency emergency contingency pinch strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs. juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events. exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

noun

  1. personal psychosocial conflict especially in adolescence that involves confusion about one's social role and often a sense of loss of continuity to one's personality

  2. a state of confusion in an institution or organization regarding its nature or direction

noun

  1. a period of emotional turmoil in middle age characterized especially by a strong desire for change