point
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A small dot or mark.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
poyntIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɔɪnt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A small dot or mark.
Something tiny, as a pinprick; a very small mark.
A full stop or other terminal punctuation mark.
A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
Each of the marks or strokes written above letters, especially in Semitic languages, to indicate vowels, stress etc.
by extension
A note; a tune.
verb
intransitive
To extend the index finger in the direction of something in order to show where it is or to draw attention to it.
To give a point to; to sharpen; to cut, forge, grind, or file to an acute end.
intransitive
To draw attention to something or indicate a direction.
intransitive
To face in a particular direction.
intransitive
To indicate a probability of something.
transitive
To direct or encourage (someone) in a particular direction.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- General English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A small dot or mark.
Used this way, point is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- dot , a specialist term, precise but narrower
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use point
- “What is the point of discussing it?”noun
- “She walked to a point where she could survey the whole street.”noun
- “He scored 20 points in the first half.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A mark to indicate a direction or relation.
Having a point.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Not having a point especially a sharp point.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Someone who is the forefront of an important enterprise.
A mutation due to an intramolecular reorganization of a gene.
The mathematical value toward which a function goes as the independent variable approaches infinity.
The point in an orbit farthest from the body being orbited.
A place from which an enterprise or expedition is launched.
A concern that seriously reflects on your honor.
Common Forms & Phrases
- make a point , State something clearly and deliberately.
- beside the point , Not relevant to what is being discussed.
- to the point , Direct and without unnecessary detail.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.