"or rather the lack of"

A "lack of something" is when you do not have it or do not have enough of it.

The phrase "or rather the lack of" is used when something has been previously mentioned which there is a lack of.

Your car headlights, or rather lack of them, makes it really dangerous to drive at night.

Thanks Louise!

I think i somehow understand how to use it.

However, the original sentence that I read on the web is this:

"But anyway, going back to the point; or rather the lack of one."

Seems the usage in the above is a bit different. Could you explain it a bit or comment whether it is used correctly?

OK - yes this sentence if fine. It is a bit difficult to explain without context but I will do my best.

In this case the speaker is referring to something that has already been discussed. He says 'going back to the point" this suggest that they had digressed from that subject. He feels that there was no "point" or purpose to the other person's (people's) dialogue.

"But anyway, (1) going back to the point; (2)or rather the lack of one."

Thanks again LouiseT and I would like to know exactly how it is used.

What confuses me is that seems (1) already has a meaning that "he discussed sth irrelevant before". I would like to know what is the additional information/opinion/expression of feelings in (2), or it is just another sentence repeating t

(1) already has a meaning that "he discussed sth irrelevant before" - Not really -"going back to the point" - returning to the original purpose of the conversation.

Let me rephrase the sentence.

I want to return the conversation to the subject that we were discussing earlier even though I do not think that subject had a purpose.