# crisis

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɹaɪsɪs/ · frequency rank #2,384

## Definitions
1. A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.
2. An unstable situation, in political, social, economic or military affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change.
3. A sudden change in the course of a disease, usually at which point the patient is expected to either recover or die.
4. A traumatic or stressful change in a person's life.
5. A point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved.

## Etymology
From Latin crisis, from Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis, “a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute”), from κρίνω (krínō, “pick out, choose, decide, judge”).

## Easily confused with
- **cross** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-cross)
- **crisp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-crisp)
- **Crist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-crist)
- **critic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-critic)
- **crispy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-crispy)
- **crisps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-crisps)
- **Cristo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-cristo)
- **CRISPR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-crispr)
- **crusts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-crusts)
- **cruises** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-cruises)
- **Crispin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crisis-vs-crispin)
- **Cris** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cris-vs-crisis)
- **cries** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cries-vs-crisis)
- **crass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crass-vs-crisis)
- **cribs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cribs-vs-crisis)
- **crimes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crimes-vs-crisis)
- **crises** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crises-vs-crisis)
- **crests** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crests-vs-crisis)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ccrisis`, `cirsis`, `criiss`, `crisiss`, `crissi`, `crissis`, `crrisis`, `crsiis`, `rcisis`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/crisis