point of view

[point uhv vyoo]

noun

1. a specified or stated manner of consideration or appraisal; standpoint: POV

   from the point of view of a doctor.

2. an opinion, attitude, or judgment: POV

   He refuses to change his point of view in the matter.

3. the position of the narrator in relation to the story, as indicated by the narrator's outlook from which the events are depicted and by the attitude toward the characters. POV

4. Movies.,  a method of shooting a scene or film that expresses the attitude of the director or writer toward the material or of a character in a scene. POV

point of view

noun

1. a position from which someone or something is observed

2. a mental viewpoint or attitude

3. the mental position from which a story is observed or narrated

   the omniscient point of view

Word History and Origins

Origin of point of view¹

First recorded in 1720–30

Idioms and Phrases

An attitude or standpoint, how one sees or thinks of something. For example, From the manufacturer's point of view, the critical issue is cost. This expression, originally alluding to one's vantage point in seeing a building or painting or other object, dates from the early 1700s.

Example Sentences

Each time they speak he seems to be persuaded of Putin's point of view and backs off his threats to apply tougher sanctions or supply more destructive weapons.

Read more on BBC

Taylor defended the decision to include Starbuck, despite the blowback, saying the group’s mission is to showcase diverse points of view so HR professionals have a better understanding of the business landscape.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“The right thing to do from an economic point of view would be to let the peso float,” said Martín Rapetti, an economist at the University of Buenos Aires.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Yet the show is not easy to dismiss — even when you might be at odds with their point of view, the show so clearly engages the real world, you might well consider it.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"From a political point of view, the initiative has a lot of value but it has not yet reached a stage of maturity sufficient to be fully launched," said a French government source on Friday.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• angle 
• attitude 
• opinion 
• orientation 
• outlook 
• perspective 
• position 
• standpoint