Point

intj, name, noun, verb, slang

intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·1 syllable ·Top 500 ·Elementary level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A small dot or mark.; Something tiny, as a pinprick; a very small mark.
  • Grammar: point is listed as intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: decimal point, dot, mark, spot.
  • Useful contrasts: coordinate axis, long interval, area.
  • Usage evidence: If anyone was to ask what the point of the story is, I really don't know.

How to use "point"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "point" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "point" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "point" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "point" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "point" is acting as intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "decimal point" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "point", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A small dot or mark.; Something tiny, as a pinprick; a very small mark. countable, uncountable

    "The stars showed as tiny points of yellow light."

  2. 2
    a contact in the distributor; as the rotor turns its projecting arm contacts them and current flows to the spark plugs wordnet
  3. 3
    A small dot or mark.; A full stop or other terminal punctuation mark. countable, uncountable

    "Commas and points they set exactly right."

  4. 4
    sharp end wordnet
  5. 5
    A small dot or mark.; A decimal point (now especially when reading decimal fractions aloud). countable, uncountable

    "10.5 is "ten point five", or ten and a half."

Show 80 more definitions
  1. 6
    a wall socket wordnet
  2. 7
    A small dot or mark.; Each of the marks or strokes written above letters, especially in Semitic languages, to indicate vowels, stress etc. countable, uncountable
  3. 8
    the gun muzzle's direction wordnet
  4. 9
    A small dot or mark.; A dot or mark used to designate certain tones or time. In ancient music, it distinguished or characterized certain tones or styles (points of perfection, of augmentation, etc.). In modern music, it is placed on the right of a note to raise its value, or prolong its time, by one half. countable, uncountable
  5. 10
    an outstanding characteristic wordnet
  6. 11
    A small dot or mark.; A note; a tune. broadly, countable, uncountable

    "Sound the trumpet — not a levant, or a flourish, but a point of war."

  7. 12
    a distinguishing or individuating characteristic wordnet
  8. 13
    A small dot or mark.; A zero-dimensional mathematical object representing a location in one or more dimensions; something considered to have position but no magnitude or direction. countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    the property of a shape that tapers to a sharp tip wordnet
  10. 15
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; An individual element in a larger whole; a particular detail, thought, or quality. countable, uncountable

    "The Congress debated the finer points of the bill."

  11. 16
    an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole wordnet
  12. 17
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A particular moment in an event or occurrence; a juncture. countable, uncountable

    "There comes a point in a marathon when some people give up."

  13. 18
    a geometric element that has position but no extension wordnet
  14. 19
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; Condition, state. archaic, countable, uncountable

    "She was not feeling in good point."

  15. 20
    the object of an activity wordnet
  16. 21
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A topic of discussion or debate; a proposition; a count countable, uncountable

    "I made the point that we all had an interest to protect."

  17. 22
    a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list wordnet
  18. 23
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; An item of private information; a hint; a tip; a pointer. US, countable, dated, slang, uncountable
  19. 24
    a brief version of the essential meaning of something wordnet
  20. 25
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A focus of conversation or consideration; the main idea. countable, uncountable

    "The point is that we should stay together, whatever happens."

  21. 26
    the dot at the left of a decimal fraction wordnet
  22. 27
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A purpose or objective, which makes something meaningful. countable, uncountable

    "Since the decision has already been made, I see little point in further discussion."

  23. 28
    a V-shaped mark at one end of an arrow pointer wordnet
  24. 29
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; The smallest quantity of something; a jot, a whit. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "full large of limbe and euery ioint / He was, and cared not for God or man a point."

  25. 30
    a punctuation mark (‘.’) placed at the end of a declarative sentence to indicate a full stop or after abbreviations wordnet
  26. 31
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A tiny amount of time; a moment. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "When time's first point begun / Made he all souls."

  27. 32
    the precise location of something; a spatially limited location wordnet
  28. 33
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A specific location or place, seen as a spatial position. countable, uncountable

    "We should meet at a pre-arranged point."

  29. 34
    a promontory extending out into a large body of water wordnet
  30. 35
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A distinguishing quality or characteristic. countable, uncountable

    "Logic isn't my strong point."

  31. 36
    one percent of the total principal of a loan; it is paid at the time the loan is made and is independent of the interest on the loan wordnet
  32. 37
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; The chief or excellent features. countable, dated, in-plural, uncountable

    "the points of a horse"

  33. 38
    the unit of counting in scoring a game or contest wordnet
  34. 39
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; An area of contrasting colour on an animal, especially a dog; a marking. countable, plural-normally, uncountable

    "The point color of that cat was a deep, rich sable."

  35. 40
    a linear unit used to measure the size of type; approximately 1/72 inch wordnet
  36. 41
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A tenth; formerly also a twelfth. countable, uncountable

    "Possession is nine points of the law."

  37. 42
    a style in speech or writing that arrests attention and has a penetrating or convincing quality or effect wordnet
  38. 43
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; Ellipsis of percentage point. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable

    "We have yet to touch on the idea of stars and directors receiving gross points, which is a percentage of the studio's gross dollar (e.g., the $5.00 studio share of the total box office dollar in Table 4.1). Even if the points are paid on "first dollar," the reference is only to studio share."

  39. 44
    any of 32 horizontal directions indicated on the card of a compass wordnet
  40. 45
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A unit of scoring in a game or competition. countable, uncountable

    "The one with the most points will win the game."

  41. 46
    a V shape wordnet
  42. 47
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A unit of various numerical parameters used in a game, e.g. health, experience, stamina, mana. countable, uncountable

    "This attack deals 320 points of damage."

  43. 48
    a very small circular shape wordnet
  44. 49
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A unit used to express differences in prices of stocks and shares. countable, uncountable
  45. 50
    a specific identifiable position in a continuum or series or especially in a process wordnet
  46. 51
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A unit of measure equal to 1/12 of a pica, or approximately 1/72 of an inch (exactly 1/72 of an inch in the digital era). countable, uncountable
  47. 52
    an instant of time wordnet
  48. 53
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; An electric power socket. UK, countable, uncountable
  49. 54
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A unit of bearing equal to one thirty-second of a circle, i.e. 11.25°. countable, uncountable

    "Ship ahoy, three points off the starboard bow!"

  50. 55
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; A unit of measure for rain, equal to 0.254 mm or 0.01 of an inch. UK, countable, uncountable
  51. 56
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.; Either of the two metal surfaces in a distributor which close or open to allow or prevent the flow of current through the ignition coil. There is usually a moving point, pushed by the distributor cam, and a fixed point, and they are built together as a unit. countable, in-plural, uncountable
  52. 57
    A sharp extremity.; The sharp tip of an object. countable, uncountable

    "Cut the skin with the point of the knife."

  53. 58
    A sharp extremity.; Any projecting extremity of an object. countable, uncountable
  54. 59
    A sharp extremity.; An object which has a sharp or tapering tip. countable, uncountable

    "His cowboy belt was studded with points."

  55. 60
    A sharp extremity.; An object which has a sharp or tapering tip.; A spearhead or similar object hafted to a handle. countable, uncountable

    "Solutrean points resemble the canines of the sabre-toothed cats."

  56. 61
    A sharp extremity.; An object which has a sharp or tapering tip.; A vaccine point. countable, obsolete, uncountable
  57. 62
    A sharp extremity.; Each of the twelve triangular positions in either table of a backgammon board, on which the stones are played. countable, uncountable
  58. 63
    A sharp extremity.; A peninsula or promontory. countable, uncountable
  59. 64
    A sharp extremity.; The position at the front or vanguard of an advancing force. countable, uncountable

    "Willie Jones decided to become Kimani Jones, Black Panther, on the day his best friend, Otis Nicholson, stepped on a mine while walking point during a sweep in the central highlands."

  60. 65
    A sharp extremity.; The position at the front or vanguard of an advancing force.; An operational or public leadership position in a risky endeavor. broadly, countable, uncountable

    ""When do we pull the trigger?" he asked. I was quick to respond, "If Tammy get's Mrs. Wellington to agree, she'll call you in a couple hours. Then just pull out all stops. Tammy has point on this, I don't want to hear from you unless it's an all clear.""

  61. 66
    A sharp extremity.; The position at the front or vanguard of an advancing force.; Ellipsis of point man. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
  62. 67
    A sharp extremity.; Each of the main directions on a compass, usually considered to be 32 in number; a direction. countable, uncountable
  63. 68
    A sharp extremity.; The difference between two points of the compass. countable, uncountable

    "to fall off a point"

  64. 69
    A sharp extremity.; Pointedness of speech or writing; a penetrating or decisive quality of expression. countable, uncountable

    "There was moreover a hint of the duchess in the infinite point with which, as she felt, she exclaimed: "And this is what you call coming often?""

  65. 70
    A sharp extremity.; A railroad switch. UK, countable, in-plural, uncountable
  66. 71
    A sharp extremity.; A tine or snag of an antler. countable, uncountable
  67. 72
    A sharp extremity.; One of the "corners" of the escutcheon: the base (bottom center) unless a qualifier is added (point dexter, point dexter base, point sinister, point sinister base), generally when separately tinctured. (Compare terrace, point champaine, enté en point.) countable, uncountable
  68. 73
    A sharp extremity.; An ordinary similar to a pile (but sometimes shorter), extending upward from the base. (Often termed a point pointed.) broadly, countable, uncountable

    "The point, according to Edmondson, (meaning the point pointed,) is an ordinary somewhat resembling the pile, issuing from the base, as in Plate VII. fig. 24, and is sometimes termed a base point pointed, but the word base is superfluous, as that is the proper place of the point;[…]"

  69. 74
    The act of pointing.; The act of pointing, as of the foot downward in certain dance positions. countable, uncountable
  70. 75
    The act of pointing.; The gesture of extending the index finger in a direction in order to indicate something. countable, uncountable

    "[…] DCDP children are exposed to more points and gesturelike signs in their linguistic environment […]"

  71. 76
    The act of pointing.; The attitude assumed by a pointer dog when he finds game. countable, uncountable

    "The dog came to a point."

  72. 77
    The act of pointing.; The perpendicular rising of a hawk over the place where its prey has gone into cover. countable, uncountable
  73. 78
    The act of pointing.; A movement executed with the sabre or foil. countable, uncountable

    "tierce point"

  74. 79
    A short piece of cordage used in reefing sails. countable, uncountable
  75. 80
    A string or lace used to tie together certain garments. countable, historical, uncountable

    "pick your purse while they tie your points, and cut your throat while they smooth your pillow"

  76. 81
    Lace worked by the needle. countable, uncountable

    "point de Venise; Brussels point"

  77. 82
    In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.; A fielding position square of the wicket on the off side, between gully and cover. countable, uncountable
  78. 83
    In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.; The position of the player of each side who stands a short distance in front of the goalkeeper. countable, uncountable
  79. 84
    In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.; The position of the pitcher and catcher. countable, uncountable
  80. 85
    In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.; A spot to which a straight run is made; hence, a straight run from point to point; a cross-country run. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To extend the index finger in the direction of something in order to show where it is or to draw attention to it. intransitive

    "It's rude to point at other people."

  2. 2
    To appoint. obsolete

    "And he, that points the Centinel his room, Doth license him depart at sound of morning Droom."

  3. 3
    repair the joints of bricks wordnet
  4. 4
    To draw attention to something or indicate a direction. intransitive

    "The arrow of a compass points north"

  5. 5
    give a point to wordnet
Show 29 more definitions
  1. 6
    To face in a particular direction. intransitive
  2. 7
    be a signal for or a symptom of wordnet
  3. 8
    To direct toward an object; to aim. figuratively, sometimes, transitive

    "to point a gun at a wolf, or a cannon at a fort"

  4. 9
    indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively wordnet
  5. 10
    To give a point to; to sharpen; to cut, forge, grind, or file to an acute end.

    "to point a dart, a pencil, or (figuratively) a moral"

  6. 11
    indicate the presence of (game) by standing and pointing with the muzzle wordnet
  7. 12
    To indicate a probability of something. intransitive

    "Tens of thousands of Portuguese, Greek and Irish people have left their homelands this year, many heading for the southern hemisphere. Anecdotal evidence points to the same happening in Spain and Italy."

  8. 13
    intend (something) to move towards a certain goal wordnet
  9. 14
    To repair mortar. ambitransitive
  10. 15
    direct into a position for use wordnet
  11. 16
    To fill up and finish the joints of (a wall), by introducing additional cement or mortar, and bringing it to a smooth surface. transitive
  12. 17
    be positionable in a specified manner wordnet
  13. 18
    To cut, as a surface, with a pointed tool.

    "Damaged stone will be removed, and the new stone installed and pointed to ensure a comprehensive match to maintain the integrity of the structure."

  14. 19
    mark (a psalm text) to indicate the points at which the music changes wordnet
  15. 20
    To direct or encourage (someone) in a particular direction. transitive

    "If he asks for food, point him toward the refrigerator."

  16. 21
    mark with diacritics wordnet
  17. 22
    To separate an integer from a decimal with a decimal point. transitive
  18. 23
    mark (Hebrew words) with diacritics wordnet
  19. 24
    To mark with diacritics. transitive
  20. 25
    sail close to the wind wordnet
  21. 26
    To supply with punctuation marks; to punctuate. dated

    "to point a composition"

  22. 27
    direct the course; determine the direction of travelling wordnet
  23. 28
    To direct the central processing unit to seek information at a certain location in memory. transitive
  24. 29
    be oriented wordnet
  25. 30
    To direct requests sent to a domain name to the IP address corresponding to that domain name. Internet, transitive
  26. 31
    To sail close to the wind. intransitive

    "Bear off a little, we're pointing."

  27. 32
    To indicate the presence of game by a fixed and steady look, as certain hunting dogs do. intransitive

    "Novv the vvarm Scent aſſures the Covey near, / He [the dog] treads vvith Caution, and he points vvith Fear; […]"

  28. 33
    To approximate to the surface; to head.
  29. 34
    To give point to (something said or done); to give particular prominence or force to. dated

    "He points it, however, by no deviation from his straightforward manner of speech."

Intj
  1. 1
    point taken; understood; got it
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    USMA (United States Military Academy) in West Point, New York. informal

    "Study goes on until tattoo, which, when Pops was at the Point, was sounded at 9.30, followed by taps at 10."

  2. 2
    A township in Posey County, Indiana, United States, so-named for being the southernmost and westernmost point in the state.
  3. 3
    A surname from French.
  4. 4
    A township in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States.
  5. 5
    A minor city in Rains County, Texas, United States.
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    A coastal settlement in Feock parish, south-west Cornwall, England (OS grid ref SW8138).

    "Cornwall County Council asked for a decision on objections raised by property owners to its proposal to convert the site of the railway into a public road for a distance of 1 mile 86 yards from Devoran to Point (Restronguet Creek)."

Synonyms

All synonyms
decimal pointdotmarkspottipview

Antonyms

coordinate axislong intervalareaareas

Example

"If anyone was to ask what the point of the story is, I really don't know."

Common questions

What does "point" mean?

A small dot or mark.; Something tiny, as a pinprick; a very small mark.

What is a synonym for "point"?

Common synonyms include: decimal point, dot, mark, spot, tip, view.

How do you use "point" in a sentence?

If anyone was to ask what the point of the story is, I really don't know.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English poynt, from Old French point m (“dot; minute amount”), from Latin pūnctum (“a hole punched in; a point, puncture”), substantive use of pūnctus m, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick, punch”); alternatively, from Old French pointe f (“sharp tip”), from Latin pūncta f (past participle), all from Proto-Italic *pungō (“to sting, prick”). Mostly displaced native Middle English ord (“point”), from Old English ord (“point”). Doublet of pointe, ponto, puncto, punctum, punt, and punto.

Etymology 2

From Middle English pointen, poynten, from Old French pointier, pointer, poynter, from point from Latin pūnctum.

Etymology 3

From Middle English pointen, poynten, by apheresis of apointen, appointen, appoynten. See appoint.

Etymology 4

Short for West Point.

Etymology 5

Probably an altered form of French Pons, see Ponce. It is also a variant of the English surname Points.

More for "point"

Synonyms

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