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History vocabulary · Historiography and Historical Thinking

Turning point

Meaning in history, with examples

/ˈtɜːnɪŋ pɔɪnt/nounCore term

In history, turning point means: A moment or event that causes an important change in the direction of history, after which things develop differently.

In Turkish: dönüm noktası

How it is used

Very common in essays and exam questions: To what extent was X a turning point? Historians describe events as marking or representing a turning point, and often debate whether a famous event really deserves the label.

Example sentences

  1. To what extent was 1848 a turning point in European history?

  2. Many historians see the battle as the turning point of the war.

Common collocations

  • a major turning point
  • mark a turning point
  • a turning point in history
  • the turning point of the war
  • periodizationThe dividing of the past into named periods, such as antiquity and the Middle Ages, and the debate about where the boundaries between them should fall.
  • revolutionThe sudden, often violent overthrow of a government or political system by its people, or any deep and rapid change in society, the economy or ideas.
  • hindsightUnderstanding of an event or situation that comes only after it has happened, when its results are already known.
  • eraA long and distinct stage of history, usually marked by an important event, ruler or change, such as the Victorian era or the Cold War era.

More terms: Historiography and Historical Thinking

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