pointwise
|point-wise|
/ˈpɔɪntˌwaɪz/
at each point
Etymology
'pointwise' originates from English, specifically from the compound of 'point' and the suffix '-wise'; 'point' ultimately comes from Latin 'punctum' (from 'pungere') where 'punctum' meant 'a pricking, point', and the suffix '-wise' derives from Old English 'wīs' meaning 'manner'.
'point' changed from Old French 'point' (from Latin 'punctum') and the element '-wise' comes from Old English 'wīs'; the compound form 'point-wise' appeared in Modern English and later solidified as 'pointwise'.
Initially the elements meant 'point' (a sharp tip) and '-wise' (in the manner of); over time the compound shifted to the specialized sense 'with respect to each point' used especially in mathematics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or defined at each individual point (often used in mathematics: e.g., 'pointwise convergence', 'pointwise maximum').
They examined the pointwise values of the function on the interval.
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Adverb 1
in a manner that applies to each point separately; at each point individually (e.g., 'converge pointwise').
The sequence of functions converges pointwise on [0,1].
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Last updated: 2025/12/28 04:49