Point of No Return
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In an aeroplane flight, that point at which it is fust as safe, or close, to go forward as to turn back.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Point of No Return” mean?
In an aeroplane flight, that point at which it is fust as safe, or close, to go forward as to turn back.
Is “Point of No Return” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.