crucible
/ˈkruː.sə.bəl/
Definition
A severe, transformative experience or period of intense pressure that tests and shapes a person's character or identity.
Etymology
Derived from the Medieval Latin word 'crucibulum,' meaning a melting pot used by alchemists to heat metals at high temperatures. It entered Middle English to describe this vessel before evolving to metaphorically describe any challenging situation that purifies or changes what is within it.
In the news
The author uses this term to describe the intense political and cultural environment of the 1980s, which served as the defining period that formed his personal identity and worldview. It highlights how high-pressure social circumstances can fundamentally shape an individual.
‘People are picking the dumbest fights’: the tortured history of America’s culture wars
Read the full article ↗The Guardian