Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
black-swan
noun
/blæk swæn/
Definition
An event or occurrence that is highly unexpected and has significant consequences, often used in the context of rare or unpredictable events in finance and other fields.
Examples
- The financial crisis of 2008 was considered a black-swan event that shocked economies worldwide.
- Many investors were unprepared for the black-swan incident that caused the market to crash suddenly.
- Her unexpected resignation was a black-swan moment for the company, leading to a significant leadership vacuum.
Meaning
The term ‘black swan’ describes an event that comes as a surprise and has a major impact, which is often rationalized in hindsight as being predictable, despite being unforeseen prior to its occurrence.
Synonyms
- Unpredictable event
- Surprise occurrence
- Rare anomaly
