A crisis is a time of serious difficulty, danger, or important decision, when things could quickly get much better or much worse. It often demands fast and careful action.
From Greek *krisis* meaning “decision, turning point,” from *krinein* “to separate, decide, judge.” In medicine it first meant the turning point in a disease when the patient either improves or declines.
Originally, a crisis wasn’t just ‘a disaster’—it was the exact moment when a decision or change would decide the future. Thinking of crises as decision points, not just emergencies, helps you look for choices instead of only feeling panic.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.