juncture
English
Etymology
From Latin iūnctūra.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdʒʌŋk.tʃə(ɹ)/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈdʒʌŋk.tʃɚ/, /ˈdʒʌŋk.ʃɚ/
Audio (US) (file)
Noun
juncture (plural junctures)
- A place where things join, a junction.
- A critical moment in time.
- We're at a crucial juncture in our relationship.
- Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
- What a mercy you are shod with velvet, Jane! a clodhopping messenger would never do at this juncture.
- (linguistics) The manner of moving (transition) or mode of relationship between two consecutive sounds; a suprasegmental phonemic cue, by which a listener can distinguish between two otherwise identical sequences of sounds that have different meanings.
Usage notes
In highly formal or bureaucratic language, "at this juncture" is often used to mean “now”:
- I'm unable to ascertain its whereabouts at this juncture.
Translations
junction
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critical moment in time
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manner of transition between two consecutive sounds
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Latin
Participle
jūnctūre
- vocative masculine singular of jūnctūrus