tipping point

Meaning

1. The point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible, often with dramatic consequences.
2. A point in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behavior by widely adopting a previously rare practice.
3. The point in time at which some new technology becomes mainstream.
4. An irreversible change in the climate system.

Etymology / origin

First use of the term appears c. 1959 in the New York Times.

Sources

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