upturning

Upturning is the act or process of turning something upward or reversing its direction. The term functions as a noun or present participle of the verb turn, and its precise meaning depends on the context in which it is used.

In everyday or mechanical language, upturning describes physically turning an edge, lip, or component upward. For example, an upturned edge on a metal sheet or a bowl’s rim is formed to create a lip or to improve strength, grip, or aesthetics. In manufacturing and architecture, upturned features can serve functional or decorative purposes, such as flanges or rims.

In economics and social analysis, upturning refers to a reversal from a downturn to growth or improvement. It is commonly used to describe improving indicators like employment, demand, production, or prices during a given period and is often discussed in business cycle analyses and policy discussions.

In geology and earth sciences, upturning may appear in descriptive passages to indicate beds or layers tilting upward toward a direction. However, the standard term for a complete reversal of bed orientation is overturning; upturning tends to be informal or context-specific rather than a formal technical designation.

In linguistics and phonology, upturning is not a widely established technical term. More precise concepts describe changes in pitch or intonation, such as an upstep or rising intonation. When used, upturning generally conveys an upward tendency in shape, orientation, or condition rather than a specialized theoretical construct.