A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.
An unstable condition, as in political, social, or economic affairs, involving an impending abrupt or decisive change.
A sudden change in the course of a disease or fever, toward either improvement or deterioration.
An emotionally stressful event or traumatic change in a person's life.
A point in a story or drama when a conflict reaches its highest tension and must be resolved.
[Middle English, from Latin, judgment, from Greek krisis, from krīnein, to separate, judge; see krei- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These nouns denote a critical point or state of affairs: a military crisis; government policy at the crossroad; had predicted the health-care exigency; a problem that is coming to a head; negotiations that had reached a crucial juncture; things rapidly coming to a desperate pass.
c.1425, from Gk. krisis "turning point in a disease" (used as such by Hippocrates and Galen), lit. "judgment," from krinein "to separate, decide, judge," from PIE base *krei- "to sieve, discriminate, distinguish" (cf. Gk. krinesthai "to explain;" O.E. hriddel "sieve;" L. cribrum "sieve," crimen "judgment, crime," cernere (pp. cretus) "to sift, separate;" O.Ir. criathar, O.Welsh cruitr "sieve;" M.Ir. crich "border, boundary"). Transferred non-medical sense is 1627. A Ger. term for "mid-life crisis" is Torschlusspanik, lit. "shut-door-panic," fear of being on the wrong side of a closing gate.
Cri"sis\ (kr?"s?s), n.; pl. Crises (-s?z). [L. crisis, Gr. ????, fr. ???? to separate. See Certain.]1. The point of time when it is to be decided whether any affair or course of action must go on, or be modified or terminate; the decisive moment; the turning point. This hour's the very crisis of your fate. --Dryden. The very times of crisis for the fate of the country. --Brougham. 2. (Med.) That change in a disease which indicates whether the result is to be recovery or death; sometimes, also, a striking change of symptoms attended by an outward manifestation, as by an eruption or sweat. Till some safe crisis authorize their skill. --Dryden.
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Audio Help [krahy-sis] Pronunciation Key noun, plural -ses 
nein to decide, separate, judge + -sis -sis
