1. A pertinent and distinct legal proposition, issue, or argument ( point of error).
2. Parliamentary law. Any of several kinds of requests made in a deliberative body. See REQUEST.
point of clarification. A question about procedure or substance.
point of information. An inquiry asking a question about a motion’s merits or effect. • A point of information can be made only to seek information, not to volunteer information. It may request an objective fact or an expert opinion, but may not request anyone — including the chair or the mover — to speculate about how he or she expects or intends that the present or future leadership will interpret or apply a motion. See INQUIRY(2).
— Also termed question of information.
point of order. A request suggesting that the meeting or a member is not following the applicable rules and asking the chair to enforce the rules. • Some organizations use the term “point of order” as a generic term that also includes a parliamentary inquiry and a question of privilege.
— Also termed question of order. See parliamentary inquiry under INQUIRY; question of privilege under QUESTION(3).
point of privilege. A motion that raises a question of privilege. See question of privilege under QUESTION(3); RAISE A QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.
procedural point. A request that raises a personal privilege relating to a member’s ability to participate effectively in the meeting, such as the member’s ability to see or hear the proceedings. See personal privilege under PRIVILEGE(5).
3. One percent of the face value of a loan (esp. a mortgage loan), paid up front to the lender as a service charge or placement fee (the borrower hoped for only a two-point fee on the mortgage).
— Also termed mortgage point. See MORTGAGE DISCOUNT.
4. A unit used for quoting stock, bond, or commodity prices (the stock closed up a few points today).
