wa‧ter‧shed /ˈwɔːtəʃed $ ˈwɒːtər-, ˈwɑː-/ noun [singular]
[Date: 1800-1900; Origin: water + shed 'line of high ground' (16-21 centuries) (from Old English scead 'separation'); suggested by German wasserscheide]

1. an event or time when important changes happen in history or in your life Synonym : turning point
watershed in
The 1932 election represented a watershed in American politics.
watershed decision/case etc
a watershed case on pension rights

2. the (9 o'clock) watershed British English the time in the evening after which television programmes that are not considered suitable for children may be shown in Britain

3. technical the high land separating two river systems

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

watershed
noun
ADJ. important, major, significant | cultural, historical, political
VERB + WATERSHED be, mark, represent | reach
WATERSHED + VERB divide sth Darwin's theory of evolution was a watershed dividing the old way of thinking from the new.
PREP. ~ between The 19th century marked a watershed between the country's agricultural past and its industrial future.
~ for The granting of the vote represented a watershed for the rights of women.
~ in With the strike, a historical watershed in the development of the trade union movement was reached.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲