Pivotal year

USAGE SUMMARY

"pivotal year" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It refers to a significant or crucial year, one that marks a turning point or has a major impact on a person or situation. Example: 2020 was a pivotal year for the world due to the pandemic, which brought about significant changes in society and the way we live.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The pivotal year was 1994.

Independent

1980: A pivotal year.

The Guardian - Business

The first pivotal year was 2011.

The Guardian - Tech

Technologically it should be a pivotal year too.

Independent

It is a pivotal year for the young man.

The New York Times

The pivotal year for Ms. Ringgold was 1963.

The New York Times

1990 was a pivotal year for English football.

The Guardian - Sport

In our culture it was a pivotal year.

The Guardian - Sport

"We call 2014 a pivotal year for climate," he said.

The Guardian

Since that pivotal year it has happened 13 times.

The New York Times

In addition to his team's success, it was also a pivotal year for Parkhurst individually.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "pivotal year" when you want to emphasize that a particular year marks a turning point or is of great significance for future developments.

Common error

Avoid using "pivotal year" for events that are merely important but do not represent a fundamental shift or turning point. Reserve it for situations with truly transformative consequences.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "pivotal year" functions as an adjective-noun combination, where "pivotal" modifies "year", indicating that the year is of critical importance. The Ludwig examples showcase its use in describing years marking significant turning points.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

63%

Encyclopedias

6%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Science

28%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "pivotal year" is a widely used and grammatically sound expression that signifies a year of critical importance or a turning point. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. It's frequently found in News & Media sources and serves to emphasize the significance of a particular year in various contexts. When using the phrase, ensure it accurately reflects a year that brought about substantial change, and be mindful of alternatives like "critical year" or "turning point year" for nuanced expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Critical year

Emphasizes the importance of the year to determine a future outcome.

Crucial year

Highlights the decisive nature of the year for future success or failure.

Turning point year

Focuses on the year as a moment of significant change and redirection.

Decisive year

Stresses the year's role in determining a particular result or direction.

Watershed year

Implies a major shift or separation from what came before.

Transformative year

Highlights the year's capacity to cause significant and lasting change.

Significant year

Broadly emphasizes the year's importance without specifying the type of impact.

Momentous year

Suggests the year is marked by important and consequential events.

Landmark year

Highlights the year as a milestone or important marker in history.

Important year

A general alternative that denotes the year's significance.

FAQs

How to use "pivotal year" in a sentence?

You can use "pivotal year" to describe a year that marked a turning point or a significant change in a situation. For example, "2020 was a "pivotal year" for remote work adoption".

What can I say instead of "pivotal year"?

You can use alternatives like "critical year", "decisive year", or "turning point year" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What makes a year a "pivotal year"?

A year becomes a "pivotal year" when significant events occur that cause a major shift, change the course of history, or have a lasting impact on a specific situation, industry, or society.

Is "pivotal year" formal or informal language?

"Pivotal year" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. While it isn't overly technical, it conveys a sense of importance and significance appropriate for news articles, academic papers, and general conversation.