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pinpoint

American  
[pin-point] / ˈpɪnˌpɔɪnt /

noun

  1. the point of a pin.

  2. a trifle; pinhead.

  3. a tiny spot or sharp point.

    Synonyms:
    define, identify, localize, spot

verb (used with object)

  1. to locate or describe exactly or precisely.

    to pinpoint the problem.

adjective

  1. exact; precise.

    pinpoint accuracy.
pinpoint British  
/ ˈpɪnˌpɔɪnt /

verb

  1. to locate or identify exactly

    to pinpoint a problem

    to pinpoint a place on a map
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an insignificant or trifling thing

  2. the point of a pin

  3. (modifier) exact

    a pinpoint aim
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pinpoint

First recorded in 1840–50; pin + point

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It's hard to pinpoint one thing," says Rob Schwartz, formerly at Billboard.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Instead, it has made it extremely difficult to pinpoint an exact tariff cost for building materials, said Ed Brady, CEO of the Home Builders Institute.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Sometimes people can even pinpoint up to six months of the date in which an A.I. text was generated, based on how different models are trained differently.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

In most cases, however, doctors cannot pinpoint a clear structural cause, which makes effective long-term treatment challenging.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

He stood and squinted against the rain, then let out a sigh of relief when he spotted a pinpoint of light much farther away than it should have been.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.