WordValepivot
a fundamental change in business strategy
In more detail
1. (noun) a pin or rod on which something turns or rotates
2. (noun) a person or thing that is central or most important to something
3. (verb) to turn or rotate on a fixed point
4. (verb) to change direction or strategy suddenly
Examples
- 1. The door swings on a pivot at the top and bottom.
- 2. He was the pivot of the team's defense in basketball.
- 3. She pivoted on her heel to face the other direction.
How to use pivot
Pivot is used literally in mechanical contexts to describe rotation around a fixed point, and metaphorically in business and strategy to describe sudden strategic changes. It has become especially common in startup and corporate language to describe strategic shifts. The noun form emphasizing centrality is more formal and somewhat literary.
Common phrases
- pivot point
- pivot table
- pivot on
- pivot toward
- central pivot
- pivot strategy
Synonyms
axis · fulcrum · center · lynchpin · shift
Word family
pivotal (adjective) · pivotally (adverb)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse the mechanical sense (rotation) with the strategic sense; using 'pivot to' when they mean 'pivot on' (the former suggests moving toward something new, the latter suggests rotating around a fixed point).
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