crisis
noun
cri·sis
| \ ˈkrī-səs
\
\
plural crises\ ˈkrī-ˌsēz
\
\
Definition of crisis
1a
: the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever
b
: a paroxysmal attack of pain, distress, or disordered function
c
: an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person's life
a midlife crisis
2
: the decisive moment (as in a literary plot)
The crisis of the play occurs in Act 3.
3a
: an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending
especially
: one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome
a financial crisis the nation's energy crisis
b
: a situation that has reached a critical phase
the environmental crisis the unemployment crisis