point
A2Neutral to formal, used across all registers
Definition
Meaning
A specific, precise location, detail, or moment; also, the sharp end of something.
A unit of measurement, a dot, a decimal separator, a purpose, a direction, a feature, a detail in an argument, an opinion, a unit in games or scoring, the tip of a pencil, the main idea.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Highly polysemous (over 20 distinct senses as noun/verb). Core concept is a discrete, specific unit or location. Often conceptualised as a location, a measure, or a purpose.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In sports scoring ('They scored five points'), 'point' is universal. In decimals, UK: 'three point five' (3.5); US: 'three point five'. In finance, 'basis point' universal. In telling time (e.g., 6:10), UK: 'ten past six' is more common, though 'six ten' used; US: 'six ten' common, but 'point' not used for time. 'Point of view' universal.
Connotations
Similar. 'Point' as purpose/idea is central in both varieties. 'Point' in debate is neutral.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both, with similar distribution across senses.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
point at/to/towards sb/sthpoint out (that)point sth out to sbpoint to sth (as evidence)point the waypoint the finger at sbVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “miss the point”
- “beside the point”
- “to the point”
- “point of no return”
- “a case in point”
- “make a point of doing sth”
- “stretch a point”
- “up to a point”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'Our Q3 sales are up by 2.5 percentage points.' 'Let me make my point clear: we need to cut costs.'
Academic
'The data points to a significant correlation.' 'His argument fails on several key points.'
Everyday
'What's the point of going if it's raining?' 'Can you point me to the station?'
Technical
'The laser is calibrated to a fixed point.' 'The graph plots temperature against time.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He pointed towards the exit.
- She pointed out a flaw in the plan.
- The evidence all points to one conclusion.
American English
- He pointed toward the exit.
- She pointed out an error in the document.
- All signs point to a successful launch.
adverb
British English
- (Rare as a standalone adverb; usually part of phrasal verbs or compounds like 'point-blank').
American English
- (Rare as a standalone adverb; usually part of phrasal verbs or compounds like 'point-blank').
adjective
British English
- The discussion was very point-by-point.
- It was a point-to-point wireless connection.
American English
- She gave a point-by-point rebuttal.
- We used point-to-point encryption.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look at the point on the map.
- What is your point?
- The pencil has a sharp point.
- I see your point, but I disagree.
- The temperature reached freezing point last night.
- He pointed at the sign.
- Her argument was succinct and to the point.
- The share price fell by 30 points today.
- I'd like to point out that we were not consulted.
- The speaker deftly parried every point raised in the debate.
- Critics point to the government's inconsistent policy as the root cause.
- The research has reached a point of diminishing returns.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the sharp POINT of a pencil - it's precise, a specific spot on the paper. From there, you can get the 'main point' (main idea) or a 'starting point' (beginning).
Conceptual Metaphor
IDEAS ARE LOCATIONS ('Get to the point'), ARGUMENTS ARE JOURNEYS ('Starting from that point...'), IMPORTANCE IS BEING A POINT ('The high point of the event').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'point' as 'пункт' for an idea ('main point' is 'основная мысль', not 'главный пункт').
- In decimals, 'point' is 'запятая' in Russian (3.5 = 'три целых пять десятых', not 'три точка пять').
- Russian 'поинт' is a very recent slang borrowing; using it in English sounds odd.
- 'Point of view' is 'точка зрения', but 'from my point of view' can sound less natural than 'in my opinion' in some contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'point' to mean 'dot' in email addresses (say 'dot', not 'point': 'john dot doe at...').
- Confusing 'point' with 'period' (US) or 'full stop' (UK) at the end of a sentence.
- Using 'point' incorrectly for a comma in large numbers (1,000 is 'one thousand', not 'one point zero zero zero').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'point' used to mean 'purpose or reason'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Point at' is physically directing a finger at something, often accusatory. 'Point to' is indicating direction or suggesting evidence ('The data points to a problem'). 'Point out' means to bring something to attention, to mention or show.
Almost always countable (a point, two points, many points). The only common uncountable use is in the phrase 'point of view' where 'point' remains part of a fixed compound noun.
Use it to structure arguments ('first point', 'key point', 'this point illustrates'), refer to data ('data point'), or indicate significance ('point of departure'). Avoid vague phrases like 'my point is' in favour of 'the central argument is'.
It comes from the use of a dot or point to separate the whole number from the fractional part, originating from the medieval practice of using a 'punctus' (point) in mathematical notation.
Collections
Part of a collection
Media and Communication
B1 · 50 words · Language for discussing media and communication.