Plural word for crisis

Both crisis and crises are correct and acceptable words to use in American English, but they also differ slightly in meaning. Today we’ll explain the difference and ensure you know which one to use in the right context.

Crises Is the Plural of Crisis

The word crisis is defined as “a tragedy or negative event.” A crisis can be political, social, financial, or even related to the weather or environment. That’s why you might hear news about a mudslide, an economic collapse, or a riot described as a crisis.

When we are writing or speaking about more than one crisis, we need to use the plural form of the word, crises.

To help illustrate the difference between the two, let’s look at a few sample sentences:

The country’s economy has been on a slow path to recovery ever since the latest currency crisis.

Civil war in the region has led to a humanitarian crisis involving thousands of refugees.

The small island has endured several crises, including an earthquake and the corruption of government.

As you can see, crises is simply the word we use when describing more than one crisis.

Why Crisis vs. Crises Can Be Confusing

If you weren’t aware of this distinction, or if you feel confused by it, you aren’t alone. The word crises isn’t used frequently in everyday language (although you might hear it somewhat often on the news).

Some people might also struggle with the word crises because its root word, crisis, ends with an “s.” That letter is added to most English words that are derived from Greek when we want to make them plural. For example, orange becomes oranges.

For that reason, some readers and writers may struggle with how to pluralize words that already end with “s.” This is one area of English vocabulary in which mastery is simply a matter of familiarity through repeated exposure to the words.

Pop Quiz

Choose the correct use of crisis or crises in each sentence.

1. Paul considered leaving the seminary when he had a [crisis / crises] of faith.

2. One important role for the government is to prepare for [crisis / crises] that may occur in the future.

3. Climate change could eventually lead to a food [crisis / crises] even in the developed world.

4. Losing teachers might not seem like a [crisis / crises] today, but the long-term social and economic effects would be terrible.

5. I never knew how many [crisis / crises] there were around the world until I started working in journalism.

Pop Quiz Answers

1. Paul considered leaving the seminary when he had a crisis of faith.

2. One important role for the government is to prepare for crises that may occur in the future.

3. Climate change could eventually lead to a food crisis even in the developed world.

4. Losing teachers might not seem like a crisis today, but the long-term social and economic effects would be terrible.

5. I never knew how many crises there were around the world until I started working in journalism.

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In all our daily conversations, we may receive messages through words that we do not fully understand. In some cases, these words may be in their singular form or their plural form. Singular and plural words are words that express one or more quantities of items. To put it simply, when there is only one thing of something, we are speaking in the singular. But when we refer to several things of the same element or set, we use the plural form. And this is precisely the case of the words we will review today: crisis and crises.

You might think that crisis and crises are two different terms, but they are not. A crisis is any event that leads to an unstable and dangerous situation, affecting a person, group, or society. Crises are the plural form of crisis; therefore, they are the same word.

Most of the nouns in their singular form become plural only by adding an «s» at the end. But it doesn’t always work the same way; there are many different rules for making a word plural. Sometimes the plural form can change depending on the letter in which the noun ends. Another critical point to consider is that irregular nouns do not follow the rule of the «s» at the end. In cases like this, the only option is to learn by heart the plural of irregular nouns. If you are curious to know much more about the word crisis, definition, origin, and uses, and about the rules to form the plural of nouns, keep reading this article.

What Is The Definition Of «Crisis»?

A crisis is a concept that is closely related to psychological stress components. It is a way of indicating that a frightening situation of great tension is happening. They are great complexity and anguish situations that can affect the family, the economy, or an entire society. The significant problem of the crisis is that the causes that generate it are unidentifiable. It is often not a single cause but many causes that simultaneously affect the situation, which is unknown.

«Crisis» contains the following elements:

• It is an unexpected or surprising event.
• The crisis produces great uncertainty for the group that it directly affects.
• The crisis represents a significant obstacle to the achievement of a particular goal or objective.
• The crisis generally implies a radical change in the prevailing and known conditions.

Other Definitions Of «Crisis» As A Noun

1. It is a crucial or decisive event or situation. It represents a turning point.
2. It is an unstable situation, which may affect political, social, economic, or military matters. It almost always implies a change that is abrupt, sudden, and imminent.
3. In the health field, it is the sudden change in the status of a disease. It is a way of indicating that the patient could recover or die.
4. In psychology, it is the radical change of a traumatic or stressful type in the life of a person or group.
5. In dramaturgy, it is the point in a dramatic play where the conflict will reach a climax before the solution arrives.

The Origin Of The Word «Crisis»

A crisis is a state of chaos, uncertainty, and distress found in Latin as «crisis» but comes from the Greek «krisis.» The Greek word «krisis» is closely related to the verb «krinein,» which means «to judge» and also implies a «decision» or «separation.»

The verb «krinein» has a great scope since it is also part of the structure of words such as:

• Criticism (kritiké)
• Criterion (kritérion)
• Hypocrisy (hypokrisy)

Crisis generates unrest that can lead to multiple outcomes. The level of impact of the crisis will depend on the factors and elements involved. In other words, crisis can exert its effect at the institutional, economic, political, religious, social, global, and personal levels. The key in this type of situation is to seek a solution as soon as possible since the aim is to recover normality and clear the obstacles to move forward.

A timely reaction to a crisis is fundamental; this will reveal the capacity to solve the problems simultaneously while people adapt to the changes. These situations that are perceived as impossible to solve can become a great lesson and teaching moment for society.

What Are The Rules For The Plural Form Of Nouns Like «Crises»?

To make the plural form of nouns like «crisis – crises,» we must follow specific grammatical rules. In some cases, it will depend on the letter in which the noun ends, if it is a regular noun or if it is irregular.

Plural Form Criteria For Regular Nouns

• Generally speaking, we can make a noun plural if we add an «s» at the end of the word (dog – dogs).
• When a noun ends with the letters «s», «sh», «ch», «ss», «x» or «z» we must add «es» at the end (watch – watches).
• In some instances, some nouns end in «z» or «s,» and to convert them to plural, we must double the «z» or «s» before adding «es» (gas – gasses).
• When the last letters of a noun are «f» or «fe,» we must change the «f» to «ve» before adding «s» (thief – thieves).
• When a noun ends in «y» and has a consonant before it, we must change the «y» to «ies» (puppy – puppies).
• When the noun ends in «y» and before it has a vowel, it is sufficient to add an «s» (day – days).
• When the word ends in «o,» add «es» at the end (tomato – tomatoes).
• When the noun ends in «is,» we must add «es» at the end (crisis – crises).

Plural Form Criteria For Irregular Nouns

Unlike regular nouns, irregular nouns do not have rules. The only way to apply and use them correctly is to learn them by heart. For example:

• Woman – women
• Person – people
• Tooth – teeth

How Do People Use The Word «Crisis»?

So far, we have had a fascinating journey through the world of knowledge to get to know the word crisis better. But we still have a little further to go to reach our goal. Here is a brief review of what is the primary use that people give to this versatile noun.

• People use the word crisis to signal a fork in the road. It is a time of uncertainty before events continue to unfold.
• People also use the word crisis to signal that disease is at its climax. It is an analogy between the illness and the uncertainty of not knowing if the patient will recover.
• We use the term crisis as an intermediate stage that will inevitably lead to something else.
• People use this noun to say something severe has happened.
• A crisis is a noun widely used by people to refer to problems after natural events or disasters.
• When people are affected by economic situations such as unemployment, bankruptcy, poverty, or money constraints, it is called a financial crisis.
• When political parties, governments, or institutions of any kind differ on crucial aspects, there are no possible points of agreement.

Examples Of The Use Of The Words «Crisis» And «Crises» In Everyday Sentences

The uses of crisis and crises may still generate some doubts, so we would like to show you practical examples of the actual use of both nouns in simple sentences.

Examples With The Singular Noun Crisis

• A severe economic crisis occurred at the beginning of this decade.
• The crisis exploded after the discovery of acts of corruption in the military high command.
• Peter was able to overcome the unexpected respiratory crisis that hit him last weekend.

Examples With The Plural Noun Crises

• After many years of crises and debates, Congress finally approved the new economic law.
• Humanity has experienced many climatic crises throughout evolution.
• When eating disorders are present, many health crises can appear that are difficult to control.

A Final Thought On The Nouns «Crises» And «Crisis»

Beyond making a final reflection on the nouns crisis and crises, it is pertinent to emphasize another aspect. The essential use of the correct plural form.

The correct use of words in all their grammatical forms is vital to create effective communications. Words like crisis and crises reaffirm that sometimes we have no idea of their correct spelling or meanings.

In the vast and endless universe of knowledge, we will always have room to continue collecting new experiences and learning. Knowledge will facilitate understanding the world and how we communicate with it more effectively.

What is the plural of crisis? There are many ways and rules regarding how singular nouns are converted into their plural forms. The most common one is to add “s” or “-es” at the end of the noun. However, other rules involve adding other letters, changing a part of the spelling, or changing nothing, at all. Determining the plural form of a noun is quite confusing. That is why you have to expand your vocabulary and read books and literary materials that can let you familiarize the plurality of words. In this article, you shall discover and understand the plural of the word “crisis” and why it is often confused or mistaken.

What Is The Plural of Crisis?

First, let us define the word. A crisis is a period of intense difficulty, whether in political, economic, personal, or environmental affairs.

It has a Greek root and comes from the word krisis, which means “decision.”

But to give you a direct answer, the plural of “crisis” is “crises.” There is no other alternative to its plural form. It does not follow the rule that tells you to add “-es” to words or nouns ending in “-s.” The term “crisis” is an example of an irregular noun. Irregular nouns are those whose plural forms involve changing the spelling other than simply adding “-s” or “-es.” In the plural form “crises,” there’s indeed an “es” in the spelling. However, it wasn’t added at the end. Instead, the “i” in “crisis” was just changed into “e,” and the other letters were retained. Other examples of irregular nouns are axis (axes), wolf (wolves), index (indices), and many others.

Why the Plural of Crisis Is Confused

The first probable reason why the plural of crisis is confused is that the term actually ends in “-s.” Words ending in “-s” are commonly, but not always, converted into their corresponding plural forms by adding “-es.” If this rule is followed, you would have “crisises” as the plural of “crisis.” That is incorrect. There is a separate and specific rule stating that if the singular noun ends in “-is,” the plural ending is “-es.” Since crisis ends in “-is,” the correct plural form would be “crises.”

Here are some other words ending in “-is” transformed into their plural forms by changing the last two letters into “-es”:

• analysis – analyses
• thesis – theses
• basis – bases
• diagnosis – diagnoses
• ellipsis – ellipses
• hypothesis – hypotheses
• oasis – oases
• parenthesis – parentheses

As you may have noticed, most of the singular forms of those words actually end in “-sis.” When transformed into one ending in “-ses,” they appear to follow the main rule of adding “-es” to words ending in “s.” Think of it as a shortcut, instead of repeating the same syllable as in “crisises,” which is wrong. Shortening eliminates the redundancy of syllables, which can only take space and effort when speaking. Therefore, if your word ends in “-sis,” its plural form most probably ends in “-ses,” without adding extra syllables.

But then you have to remember that some words ending in “-is” can have two plural forms. One adds “-es,” and the other changes “-is” to “-es.” An example is the word “mantis,” which can be converted into either “mantises” or “mantes.” Both are accepted in the English language.

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Last Updated on March 8, 2021

What is the definition of crisis?

It’s always best to know the definition or definitions of a word before you go any farther with it. Here are the definitions of crisis according to Dictionary.com.

–       The noun crisis is a turning point in a series of events that will, for better or for worse, determine the final outcome. 

–       The word crisis can also be used to describe any dangerous, unstable or dangerous situation. 

–       In addition, a crisis can also be defined as an event in a person’s life that is emotionally or circumstantially intense.

–       In a medical context, a crisis is a situation where a patient reaches a pivotal point that either leads to death or to health.

What is the plural form of the word crisis?

Crisis is a singular noun. The plural form of crisis is crises or crisises. Any singular event or situation is a crisis. However, when referring to multiple events or situations, the plural noun form of crisis, crises, is used.

The history and origin of the word

The English language word crisis is derived from Greek roots and Latin words. The Greek word krísis

means decision, whereas the Latin crisis in English would be used to describe a medical crisis situation.

The word’s first recorded English use was in the late 14th century or early 15th century. For reference, this was right around when the Renaissance began in Italy!

Examples of the Word in Context

The word crisis is usable in multiple contexts. A crisis can be a personal situation where circumstances or emotions are in a critical state or are very intense. Additionally, the word crisis also describes any situation where danger, instability and great risk exist. Finally, a crisis can also be any situation wherein the outcome is significant – a climax or turning point. 

Because the word crisis has multiple meanings and uses, it is important to know how to properly use the word in each context. The following helpful example sentences illustrate how to use crisis in multiple contexts. 

Using Crisis and Crises to Describe Personal Situations:

–       “Jerry experienced a financial crisis in his life when he lost his job and had to re-evaluate everything.” 

–       “He’s having a midlife crisis; he bought a convertible and dyed his hair.”

–       “Roberta and Jeffrey both experienced a crisis of confidence and nearly abandoned hope when their depression became severe.”

–       “She experienced an existential crisis after reading the work of Friedrich Nietzsche for the first time.”

Using Crisis and Crises to Describe Turning Points or sudden change:

–       “The story reached a point of crisis when the main character had to choose between his family crisis and his lover.”

–       “The nation was in crisis during the COVID pandemic­­– people were dying and no one was sure how to help.”

–       “The hurricane came through the state, and the natural crisis caused panic amongst the citizens.”

Using Crisis and Crises in a Medical Context: 

–       “The patient was fading, and the doctor deemed it a crisis, so we had to switch to life support.”

–       “If a loved one is choking, this is a medical crisis and the Heimlich maneuver should be used immediately.”

–       “Hospital workers deal with all kinds of crises daily, which requires a great deal of mental resilience and fortitude. 

Synonyms for Crisis and Crises

A synonym of a word is another word that has the same meaning as that word. Synonyms are helpful in writing to keep your verbiage interesting, precise and clear. You always want to make sure you are choosing the best words possible, and synonyms come in handy when you aren’t sure whether your chosen word is the best.

When writing, it’s always crucial to have multiple words in your arsenal that have the same meaning. This diversifies your vocabulary and prevents overuse of the same word. Additionally, sometimes a synonym of a word is more fitting than the word you originally intended to use. 

Synonyms can be found in a thesaurus – similar to a dictionary, but with a collection of synonyms for each word. Luckily, you don’t have to go your local bookstore to pick up a thesaurus, you can access one online! 

Below are some synonyms for crisis and crises:

Catastrophe: A crisis is not always inherently negative. However, “catastrophe” is an applicable synonym for “crisis” when describing an event or situation that has a major negative impact on other events or on people. When describing multiple “crises,” use the plural “catastrophes” as a synonym.

Change: In a personal context, a crisis often involves significant positive or negative changes to the life of an individual. Using “change” as a synonym for “crisis” is fitting when you are writing about a situation that is not inherently positive or negative but involves transition. Remember that the word “crisis” can refer to any situation that is critical and pivotal. When describing multiple “crises,” use the plural “changes” as a synonym. 

Dilemma: A dilemma (plural dilemmas) is, by definition, a situation where a person must choose between two options, neither of which is clearly better than the other. Using “dilemma” as a synonym for “crisis” is fitting when writing about a critical situation where a person’s choice will influence future events. In addition, using “dilemma” as a synonym for “crisis” is also fitting in a medical context. For example, “The doctors faced a dilemma wherein they either had to turn off the patient’s life support or operate immediately without the proper tools.” 

There are numerous other synonyms for crisis and crises, including emergency (plural emergencies), impasse (plural impasses), deadlock (plural deadlocks), crossroad (plural crossroads), climax (plural climaxes) and more. If you are running out of words to use as synonyms for crisis or crises, take a look at an online thesaurus. 

In addition, check your word processor to see if it includes a built-in thesaurus. It’s always a good move to familiarize yourself with your word processor of choice. You likely haven’t found all the useful tools and shortcuts in it, all of which can come in handy when doing any writing!

Sources:

1. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/crisis?s=t
2. https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/italian-renaissance
3. https://www.biography.com/scholar/friedrich-nietzsche

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Prof. Neal Willms V

Score: 4.8/5
(43 votes)

A crisis (plural: «crises»; adjectival form: «critical») is any event or period that will lead, or may lead, to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. … More loosely, a crisis is a testing time or an emergency.

Is there a word called crises?

noun, plural cri·ses [krahy-seez]. a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; turning point. a condition of instability or danger, as in social, economic, political, or international affairs, leading to a decisive change.

Is crisis singular or plural?

Crisis plural is crises. We use the term “crises” when referring to more than one crisis. The singular word, crisis, is pronounced like this: ‘cry-sis’.

What’s the plural word for crisis?

noun, plural crises [kreez]. French. crisis.

What is crisis and example?

The definition of a crisis is a turning point or a difficult or dark time when disasters are happening or when tough decisions must be made. … An example of a crisis is when your house is flooding due to the rains from a hurricane.

43 related questions found