points system

British

noun

a system used to assess applicants' eligibility for local authority housing, based on (points awarded for) such factors as the length of time the applicant has lived in the area, how many children are in the family, etc

"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

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.

Given the points system used to determine starters in the Kentucky Derby, Intrepido almost certainly needs to finish first or second Saturday at Santa Anita.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Rolapp said that the points system would be simplified and that match play could be introduced at either the Tour Championship or for the entire postseason.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

To level the playing field among those who make repeated use of the campground drawings, the state has set up a points system.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025

Other prisoners who spoke about the points system to the BBC described it as a mind game designed to crush spirits.

From BBC • May 17, 2025

Lewis becomes the first casualty of the humiliating tour of Australia, which was the first time either side has lost every match in an Ashes series since the multi-format points system was introduced in 2013.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2025

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