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Glite Dictionary
👤 A surname 🔄 A big change 🇩🇪 German reunification
Wende

Wende

9.9
A big change that makes things happen in a new way
  • noun
  • /ˈvɛndə/
translation icon : cambio
  • The peaceful protests sparked a Wende, ultimately transforming the nation's political landscape.

Examples

  • After years of decline, the company experienced a Wende that led to renewed growth.

  • Many historians consider the Wende a pivotal moment.

  • The fall of the Berlin Wall marked a historic Wende in European politics.

  • Historians often refer to 1989 as the Wende in German history.

  • The Wende marked a new era for Germany.

  • The fall of the Berlin Wall represented a significant Wende in the fight for democratic reforms in Eastern Europe.

  • Scholars agree that the 1989 Wende was crucial in shaping the future of modern Germany.

Synonyms

turning point
vsWende
104 3.7

A moment when an important event changes what happens next

refers to larger political or social transformative shifts rather than immediate effects
watershed
vsWende
14 5.8

An important event or time that marks a big change

has a narrower political or social focus rather than broad historical scope
tournant
vsWende
9.9

A time when an important change happens in a story or process

is used mainly for major changes in political or social contexts rather than narrative shifts

How Significant

revolution
810 4.1
watershed
14 5.8
Wende
9.9
turning point
104 3.7
shift
363 3.5
change
∞ 1.1

Surface Forms

Wende singular
Wendes plural

Etymology

The word Wende comes from the German verb wenden 'to turn'. Think of a road turning into a new direction, and you have the image of a big change, which is why Wende means a major turning point or significant change.