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

People were tired and really didn’t know what to make of a movie that shifts between the points of view of the two main characters and has a subjective, impressionistic mode of storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times

And because it’s from the cat’s perspective, everything seems even bigger than it would be from a human point of view.

From Los Angeles Times

“One of the things that struck me about the lyrics was that some of them were from the children’s point of view and expressing emotions I hadn’t heard before,” said Hanggi.

From Los Angeles Times

Any perceived display of liberal bias was quickly attacked, so the media got the message and gradually acquiesced until liberals and their point of view were marginalized.

From Salon

Caitlyn embodies this point of view both because of her social status and because of her immense personal loss during Jinx’s attack.

From Salon

Related Words

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