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crisis

Pronunciation: /ˈkrʌɪsɪs/
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Definition of crisis

noun (plural crises /-siːz/)

  • a time of intense difficulty or danger:the current economic crisis [mass noun]:the monarchy was in crisis
  • a time when a difficult or important decision must be made: [as modifier]:the situation has reached crisis point
  • the turning point of a disease when an important change takes place, indicating either recovery or death.

Origin:

late Middle English (denoting the turning point of a disease): medical Latin, from Greek krisis 'decision', from krinein 'decide'. The general sense 'decisive point' dates from the early 17th century

Spelling rule

Make the plural by changing the -is ending to -es: (crises).

crisis in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of crisis in the US English dictionary
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