subjectivity
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being subjective; subjectiveness.
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a subjective thought or idea.
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intentness on internal thoughts.
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internal reality.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of subjectivity
First recorded in 1805–15; subjective + -ity; probably modeled on German Subjectivität
Explanation
Subjectivity refers to how someone’s judgment is shaped by personal opinions and feelings instead of outside influences. Subjectivity is partially responsible for why one person loves an abstract painting while another person hates it. Since a subject is a person, subjectivity refers to how a person's own uniqueness influences their perceptions. For example, if you have six sisters, that might influence how you view women or families — it's part of your subjectivity. Subjectivity is a form of bias and also individuality. Subjectivity is the opposite of objectivity, which is based purely on the facts and isn't personal. We expect judges to put aside their subjectivity and make decisions based on objectivity.
Vocabulary lists containing subjectivity
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The court’s language frames the issue as biology vs. identity, objectivity vs. subjectivity, reality vs. fiction.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
"Bringing these two fields together can open up for a more holistic psychology, in which both neurological mechanisms and subjective experience are included. In this way, we can understand subjectivity in a more scientific manner."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026
She voiced frustration over the subjectivity that she says now shapes the process.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
It opens up a level of subjectivity where pushing your head towards another player might not be seen as violent.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
It is an exercise, simultaneously, in a new objectivity and a new subjectivity.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Furthermore, the album engages with Berlant's concept of gendered subjectivities, which emphasizes the fluid and performative nature of identity.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2024
They own up to their own subjectivities and doubts.
From New York Times ● Feb. 17, 2021
“Awareness that one’s self possesses multiple possible subjectivities or identities resists categorization,” he writes.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 18, 2018
It bridges subjectivities: A keenly observed thought or feeling, one bearing all the traces of a particular mind, nonetheless takes root in your mind.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2013
Following Clifford, I will call these inferred subjectivities by the name of ejects, and assign to them the symbol y.
From Mind and Motion and Monism by Romanes, George John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
