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Synonyms

objectionable

American  
[uhb-jek-shuh-nuh-buhl] / əbˈdʒɛk ʃə nə bəl /

adjective

  1. causing or tending to cause an objection, disapproval, or protest.

  2. offending good taste, manners, etiquette, propriety, etc.; offensive.

    objectionable behavior.

    Synonyms:
    odious, vile, offensive, unacceptable

objectionable British  
/ əbˈdʒɛkʃənəbəl /

adjective

  1. unpleasant, offensive, or repugnant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of objectionable

First recorded in 1775–85; objection + -able

Explanation

Objectionable things are unwelcome or disliked. Your objectionable roommate might leave his dirty dishes everywhere, watch TV with the volume turned all the way up, and keep bringing home stray kittens. If you've got a problem with someone's behavior, you can describe it as objectionable. Things like hate speech, bad jokes, and terrible music are all objectionable — obnoxious or even deplorable. In other words, you object to these things. The Latin root of object and objectionable is obiectare, "to oppose" or "to set against," literally meaning "to throw or put against."

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Vocabulary lists containing objectionable

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.

Swalwell also had high favorability ratings, and when he dropped out, Becerra was “seen as the least objectionable of the candidates that were remaining,” Mitchell said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

They must obey laws, but beyond that, social media companies can filter content as they like, and anything objectionable is the responsibility of whomever posted it.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

"What is so objectionable to the Conservative Party about Muslims celebrating their religion in the way that we do?" he added.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

When AI systems train on content from the Chinese internet, it is already scrubbed as part of China’s so-called Great Firewall, the system Beijing set up years ago to block online content it finds objectionable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

In his pocket was a roll of cash that he quickly dispersed to beggars, an act that Farmer didn’t find objectionable but which he nonetheless deemed insufficient.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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