What’s the plural of “crisis”?
A crisis (sounds like cry–sis) refers to a time of severe difficulty, danger or doubt. If you’re curious on what the correct plural of crisis is, look no further:
- Crisis (pronounced cry–sis) is singular.
- Crises (pronounced cry–seaz) is the only plural of crisis.
Like other Greek nouns in English, crisis switches its suffix to “-es” as a plural (though it does so by modifying its singular noun form, making it irregular).
| Sentence examples with “crisis”/”crises” | |
| singular | She was dealing with a family crisis at the time. |
| plural | A succession of economic crises had limited the money available for new social policies. |
Why is “crises” the plural of “crisis”?
The noun crisis entered Latin from the earlier Greek word krisis, which translates to, “a turning point in a disease, that change which indicates recovery or death”. Also, “vitally important or decisive state of things, point at which change must come, for better or worse”.
Other Greek words in English
Like other Greek nouns in English, crisis ends in “-is” as a singular and switches to “-es” as a plural. However, unlike regular nouns, crisis doesn’t glue or attach the “s”/”es” at the end, but instead replaces the “-i” with “-e” to convert to plural.
Said more simply: the switch of the ending from “is” (in crisis) to “es” (in crises, plural) is an irregular inflection in English. Still, we see the pattern in other words that are Greek in origin: thesis, diagnosis, analysis (the list goes on-we love our Greek nouns).
| singular | plural |
| crisis | crises |
| diagnosis | diagnoses |
| oasis | oases |
| synopsis | synopses |
| thesis | theses |
“Crisis” / “Crises”, used in sentences
| Sentences with “crisis” singular |
| Most people blame the government for the country’s worsening economic crisis. In 1887 a severe banking crisis occurred in Sardinia. Unless there was a pending crisis of major proportions, telephone messages remained unanswered and promises unfulfilled. |
| Sentences with “crises” plural |
| For every age consists of crises that seem intolerable to those who live through them. Economic crises also underscore the importance of effective social safety nets. The countries have faced numerous fiscal crises which resulted in high unemployment. |
Synonyms of crisis
- catastrophe
- dilemma
- mess
- emergency
- disaster
- impasse
- deadlock
- pickle
- predicament
- quandary
- crossroad
- culmination
- juncture
Phrases similar to crisis
- big trouble
- hour of decision
- dire straits
- moment of truth
- turning point
- point of no return
Etymology of crisis
Early 15c., crise, crisis, “decisive point in the progress of a disease,” also “vitally important or decisive state of things, point at which change must come, for better or worse,” from Latinized form of Greek krisis “turning point in a disease, that change which indicates recovery or death”
Etymonline, crisis.
Learn more about nouns
- What are Possessive Nouns? (Formation of Possessive Nouns)
- Appositive Nouns (Meaning, Explanation & Examples)
- Abstract Nouns vs. Concrete Nouns Explained
- What are Mass Nouns? (Mass Nouns vs Collective Nouns)
- What are Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns?
- Plural-Only Nouns (Explanation & Examples)
- What are Collective Nouns? (Collective Nouns vs Mass Nouns)
Sources
- Example sentences crisis from dictionary.com
- Definition of crisis
- Noah Webster
- Synonyms of crisis/crises
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of crisis.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/crisis. Accessed 11 October, 2023.
- Crisis, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, accessed on Oct 11, 2023.
