the word crisis

The Plural of Crisis: A Thorough Exploration

Byletslearnenglishtogether.com

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The plural of crisis is crises (pronounced KRYE-seez).

Plural of crisis

Why the Plural of Crisis Isn’t Always Obvious

Language can be confusing. Even common words can trip us up, especially when making them plural. Crisis is the perfect example—it looks like a noun that should simply take an S to become plural. But alas, crisis is not so straightforward. The confusion stems from the word’s journey into English…

Origins of the Word Crisis

“Crisis” entered English from Latin. In Latin, crisis meant “decision” or “turning point”, especially in medicine. Doctors used it to describe the critical moment when a sick person would either recover or die.

Over time, crisis expanded beyond just medicine. Now, it refers to any major turning point or change.

The original Greek word was krisis which came from krinein.

Is Crisis Countable or Uncountable?

Whether “crisis” is countable depends on how it’s used in a sentence.

As a countable noun, crisis refers to distinct events. For example:

  • The company has weathered a few financial crises in its history.
  • The crises this year have been unrelenting.

Here, crises can be quantified—it’s reasonable to count them. The plural form is “crises.”

However, crisis can also be an uncountable (mass) noun referring to abstract hardship:

  • Climate crisis threatens the future.
  • We face a healthcare crisis.

These sentences discuss crisis as an abstract concept, not distinguishable events. Uncountable nouns don’t become plural.

The Takeaway: Assess How Crisis Is Used

Because crisis straddles the countable/uncountable divide, assess its meaning before pluralizing:

  • Countable sense (multiple distinct events): Use crises
  • Uncountable sense (general hardship): Use crisis

This distinction is subtle but important for maintaining clarity. Now let’s run through some examples.

Examples in Action

Here is crisis used in different contexts, first as a countable noun correctly pluralized:

  1. The 1990s had multiple economic crises causing a recession.
  2. Disasters often create humanitarian crises.
  3. Financial crises emerge when instability leads to currency devaluation or debt default.

And now, examples of crisis as an uncountable noun:

  • This crisis of conscience has ethical implications.
  • We face a crisis of leadership in this difficult hour.

Key Takeaways

  • Crisis originated in Latin meaning “turning point”, especially in illness
  • It gained wider usage in English as both countable and uncountable
  • As countable (“multiple events”), its plural is “crises”
  • As uncountable (“general hardship”), it remains “crisis”

So in both senses, “crisis” has slightly tricky pluralization. But armed with the countable vs. uncountable distinction, you can confidently discern the proper plural.

Other similar plurals:

Conclusion: Plural of Crisis

Like many irregular English words, there are exceptions and unique cases when pluralizing crisis. But in most instances, your linguistic instinct will guide you correctly.

When in doubt, ask yourself: “Am I referring to separate events or general hardship?” From there, the plural of crisis should present itself.

Quick Reference

  • Crisis = a decisive turning point
  • Plural as a countable noun (separate events) = crises
  • Plural as an uncountable noun (general hardship) = crisis

So don’t let the crisis of pluralization turn into a crisis! Know the origins, rules, and exceptions for this twisting turning point of a word.

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