Tipping point
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible, often with dramatic consequences. broadly, figuratively
- 2 A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice.
- 3 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.
- 4 An irreversible change in the climate system.
"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."
Example
More examples"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."
Etymology
First use of the term appears c. 1959 in the New York Times.