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point of view

the perspective from which a story is told

In Literary English

In more detail

1. (noun) the opinion or perspective from which someone looks at or judges something

2. (noun) the perspective from which a story or narrative is told (such as first person, third person, etc.)

Examples

• 1. From my point of view, we should invest more money in education.
• 2. The novel is written from the point of view of a young girl growing up in the 1950s.

How to use point of view

Point of view refers to either someone's perspective or opinion on a matter, or the narrative perspective in storytelling. In everyday contexts, it emphasizes the subjective angle from which someone judges a situation. In literary contexts, it specifically denotes the grammatical and narrative stance (first person, third person, etc.) from which a story is told. It is more formal than the single word 'view' or 'opinion' but less formal than 'perspective' in some registers.

Common phrases

• express a point of view
• adopt a point of view
• from my point of view
• matter of point of view
• shift point of view

Synonyms

perspective · standpoint · viewpoint · outlook · position

A common mistake

Learners sometimes write 'point of the view' or 'point of views' (plural) when discussing a single perspective; the correct form is either 'point of view' (singular) or 'points of view' (plural).

Nearby in Literary English

pen name, personification, plot twist, prologue, pun, rhetoric

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained