CRISIS

noun (plural crises) see: certain Date: 15th century 1. the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever, a paroxysmal attack of pain, distress, or disordered function, an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person's life , the decisive moment (as in a literary plot), 3. an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending, a situation that has reached a critical phase , see: juncture