watershed

tournant

Événement ou moment après lequel une situation importante change profondément.

En anglais simple : An event or point after which an important situation changes greatly.

• The election was a watershed.
• Her first exhibition marked a watershed in her career.
• That ruling became a watershed for civil rights.

Comment l'utiliser : a watershed in something (The election was a watershed in the country's history.); a watershed for someone/something (The discovery proved a watershed for modern medicine.)

Synonymes : turning point, milestone

Expressions courantes : a watershed moment, watershed in something, a political watershed

bassin versant

Zone où les eaux de pluie et les cours d’eau rejoignent le même fleuve, lac ou océan.

En anglais simple : An area of land where rain and streams flow into the same river, lake, or sea.

• This river drains a large watershed.
• Pollution upstream affects the entire watershed.
• The project protects forests in several watersheds.

Synonymes : drainage basin, catchment

Expressions courantes : river watershed, watershed management, watershed protection

décisif, charnière

Important parce qu’il marque le début d’un grand changement.

En anglais simple : Important because it marks the start of a major change.

• It was a watershed moment.
• The watershed election changed the political system.
• Historians consider that agreement a watershed event.

Synonymes : pivotal, epoch-making

Expressions courantes : watershed moment, watershed event, watershed election, watershed decision