crisitunity

English

Etymology

Blend of crisis +‎ opportunity; introduced as a gag in the animated television series The Simpsons (season 6, episode 11, "Fear of Flying", first broadcast on 18 December 1994):

• LISA: Look on the bright side, Dad. Did you know that the Chinese use the same word for "crisis" as they do for "opportunity"?
• HOMER: Yes. "Crisitunity"! You're right.

Noun

crisitunity (plural crisitunities)

1. (informal, rare) A crisis from which some good may come, and which may therefore be perceived as an opportunity.
   • 2010, Nick Lantz, The Lightning That Strikes the Neighbors’ House, page 25:

     Would it help to say that we misunderestimated the effects of Frankenfood and mutagenic smog, to speculate that amid all our infornography and anticipointment, some crisitunity slumbered unnoticed in a roadside motel?

   • 2011, Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Nonprofit Management 101, page 267:

     Communicate the “crisitunity.” Originally coined by Homer Simpson, a “crisitunity” is the moment when crisis meets opportunity—and it has a slightly better ring than “opporisis.” Regardless of the word choice, the principle is straightforward: by communicating a time-sensitive problem your organization faces, along with how your online community can help solve the problem, people will be motivated to act.

   • 2017, Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo of Zimbabwe: Politics, Power, and Memory, page 147:

     On lost crisitunities, vanishing post-Soviet and decolonization of thinking, being and perception.

   • 2021, Gorden Moyo, African Agency, Finance and Developmental States, page 116:

     In addition to the challenges of Chinese lending raised above, the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) presents another possibility for crisitunity (crisis-opportunity) in Africa.

See also

• never waste a crisis