# peripeteia

> English word · Noun · IPA /pɛɹɪpɪˈtɪə/

## Definitions
1. A sudden reversal of fortune as a plot point in Classical tragedy.
2. Any sudden change in circumstances; a crisis.
3. A turning point in psychosocial development.

## Etymology
From Late Latin peripetia, and its source Ancient Greek περιπέτεια (peripéteia), from περιπίπτω (peripíptō, “to change suddenly”), from περί (perí, “round, around, about”) + the stem of πίπτω (píptō, “to fall”).

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