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rallying point

rallying point

4 5.2
A person, idea or event that brings people together when they are divided
  • noun
  • /ˈræliɪŋ pɔɪnt/
translation icon : punto de encuentro
  • Her heartbreaking story became a rallying point for those fighting for justice.
  • become a rallying point
  • serve as a rallying point
  • provide a rallying point

Examples

  • The national union, the UGTT, became the rallying point for opposition to the regime.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The CSWG served as the focus for political activity and the rallying point to engage in collective endeavors that were not possible in separate departments.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Finally, the new "More Than A Maps Website" acts as a rallying point for a new contest.

    Blog text (23)
  • There were four main rallying points for demonstrators throughout the city.

  • "The ERA was a rallying point for feminism," Bystrom says.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Journalistic images of poor, self-sacrificing mothers served as a rallying point for increasing the property rights of working women.

    Academic text (2016)
  • The new traditionalist discourse is a rallying point for those sympathetic to both environmental and social causes.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Also, informally, Olson's church, which is not a member of any larger body, is a rallying point for other like-minded churches.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Fifteen years ago, Howard Gardner wrote a book that was destined to become a rallying point for educators throughout the world.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The rallying point for the campaign was the idea of equality for all citizens.

Synonyms

uniter
vsrallying point
9 4.2

A person who brings people, groups, or ideas together to reach a shared goal

is broader, including ideas or events that unite divided or scattered people

Antonyms

364 4.1

A break in something hard like a bone or rock

A rule or plan by leaders that makes people strongly disagree

How Unifying

focal point
30 3.7
rallying point
4 5.2
meeting place
17 1.3

Surface Forms

Morphology

rallying + point

The phrase is compositionally built from 'rallying' (causing people to come together/unite) + 'point' (a place or focus), so a learner who knows those constituents can infer a place/person/idea that unites people. This follows standard noun-modifier composition and has clear equivalents in other languages, making its meaning readily recoverable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The phrase rallying point comes from old battlefields where soldiers who were scattered would return to a clear point, like a hill or a flag, to 'rally' or 'gather' together. That's why today a rallying point means a person, idea, or place that helps to 'unite' people.