tipping point

Meanings

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

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