watershed moment
6
6.3
- noun
- /ˈwɔːtərʃɛd ˈmoʊmənt/
:
momento decisivo
- "Today is a watershed moment for the University of Maryland," said university president Wallace D. Loh.
- a watershed moment in history
One of those watershed moments was The Satanic Verses.
- One of those watershed moments was The Satanic Verses.
- But I, I think if you, if you look at a watershed moment, which was the Enlightenment.
- But focusing in on that watershed moment masks that much more protracted evolution that both preceded and followed it.
- And it was seen as like this watershed moment where a computer beat the best human chess player on the planet and that was it.
- Do you see a watershed moment, an opportunity for, for these things to advance so much to say in so little time?
- These are watershed moments for science and technology, forcing factors for ethical debates and opening to potentially game changing biomedical research.
- When this first happened, he said this is the watershed moment in a lot of ways.
- You know, And it was just, I mean, I feel like it was a watershed moment.
- Again, OG, big fan of flow, big fan of NBA Top shot, completely one of the watershed moments of this era.
- And for me that was like the watershed moment of like, wow, like there's there is no one behind the curtain.
- It it this this was the this is the watershed moment, really this album and it that I can experience that drive that we had.
- And it was like a, like a like a watershed moment, just like all of a sudden, and I just followed the instructions of what this guy had told me.
Examples
-
That's a significant watershed moment in each person's life, and one remembers it always.
Blog text (17) -
The individual reparations issued by the Federal Republic of Germany were a watershed moment in the history of reparations.
Academic text (2006) -
When this first happened, he said this is the watershed moment in a lot of ways.
-
In many ways, this was the watershed moment from which all progress can be marked.
Academic text (2005) -
The 2000 World AIDS Report, for example, marked a watershed moment in highlighting this problem.
Academic text (2013) -
Mirrors and Windows appeared in 1978, a watershed moment in the history of photography.
Academic text (2005) -
April 30 may have been a watershed moment for the Federal Reserve and Ben Bernanke... or maybe not.
Blog text (8) -
In retrospect, Justice Kennedy’s concurring opinion in Brohl may well be identified as a watershed moment.
Academic text (2017) -
Despite the oppressive weather that drained one's energies and made most of us feel like martyrs for art, this year's Biennale marks a watershed moment for artists from Africa and the African Diaspora.
Academic text (2003) -
The trial of Saddam Hussein marks a watershed moment for Iraq and for the Middle East.
Synonyms
104
3.7
A moment when an important event changes what happens next
43
5.3
A moment when a small event causes a big, lasting change
35
4.1
A sudden change in a situation that makes plans or results different
16
4.4
An important event that marks a big change in history or progress
14
5.8
An important event or time that marks a big change
5
3.9
A time when you must make an important choice that affects the future
4
7.5
A moment when a situation changes in an important way
2
4.9
A moment when an important change happens or people make a key decision
A time when an important change happens in a story or process
Antonyms
How Significant
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound links 'watershed' (a dividing line/turning point in its figurative sense) with 'moment' (a point in time), so the overall idea of a decisive turning point is derivable from the parts. However, the figurative sense of 'watershed' is somewhat literary/formal and requires a metaphorical extension that many B1 learners who only know the literal geographic meaning may not infer, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Watershed moment comes from the word watershed, the line of high land where rain falls and the water then flows into different rivers on each side. So a watershed moment is an event that clearly divides 'before' and 'after' — a big 'turning point' or change.