object

[ noun ob-jikt, -jekt; verb uhb-jekt ]

See synonyms for object on Thesaurus.com

noun

anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.
a thing, person, or matter to which thought or action is directed: an object of medical investigation.

the end toward which effort or action is directed; goal; purpose: Profit is the object of business.
a person or thing with reference to the impression made on the mind or the feeling or emotion elicited in an observer: an object of curiosity and pity.
anything that may be apprehended intellectually: objects of thought.
Optics. the thing of which a lens or mirror forms an image.
Grammar. (in many languages, such as English) a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that represents either the goal of the action of a verb or the goal of a preposition in a prepositional phrase: for example, ball in John hit the ball, or Venice in He came to Venice, or coin and her in He gave her a coin.: Compare direct object, indirect object.
Digital Technology.
- any item that can be individually selected or manipulated, as a picture, data file, or piece of text.
- in object-oriented programming, a self-contained entity that consists of both data and operations to manipulate the data.
Metaphysics. something toward which a cognitive act is directed.

verb (used without object)

to offer a reason or argument in opposition.
to express or feel disapproval, dislike, or distaste; be averse.

to refuse or attempt to refuse to permit some action, speech, etc.

verb (used with object)

to state, claim, or cite in opposition; put forward in objection, disagreement, or disapproval: Some people objected that the proposed import duty would harm world trade.
Archaic. to bring forward or cite in opposition.

Origin of object

First recorded in 1325–75; (noun) Middle English: “something perceived, purpose, objection,” from Medieval Latin objectum “something thrown down or presented (to the mind),” noun use of neuter of Latin objectus “thrown toward,” past participle of obicere, objicere “to throw toward” (see ob-, jet¹ ); verb from Middle French obje(c)ter, from Latin objectāre “to throw or put before, oppose,” frequentative of obicere, objicere, as above

synonym study For object

3. See aim.

Other words for object

3	objective, target, aim, intent, intention, motive

See synonyms for object on Thesaurus.com

Other words from object

ob·jec·tor, noun
o·ver·ob·ject, verb
re·ob·ject, verb (used with object)
un·ob·ject·ed, adjective

Words that may be confused with object

abject, object

Words Nearby object

Other definitions for object. (2 of 2)

object.

abbreviation

objection.
objective.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use object in a sentence

Physicists don’t usually deal with objects of different sizes at the same time.
How Mathematical ‘Hocus-Pocus’ Saved Particle Physics | Charlie Wood | September 17, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
Powerful gusts not only blow objects around, they also churn up massive waves called storm surges.
Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them | Alison Pearce Stevens | September 17, 2020 | Science News For Students
When you only look at things close-up, your eyes don’t get practice focusing on distant objects.
Healthy screen time is one challenge of distance learning | Kathryn Hulick | September 11, 2020 | Science News For Students
GPT-3’s word embeddings are not perceptually grounded in the world, which explains why it often struggles to consistently answer common-sense questions about visual and physical features of familiar objects.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side | Raphaël Millière | September 9, 2020 | Nautilus
It’s not yet clear what this object is and what its purpose might be.
China says it has launched and landed a reusable spacecraft | Neel Patel | September 8, 2020 | MIT Technology Review

But by far the most interesting object, which held enormous fascination for me, sat high up on the top shelf.
My Love Letter to the Stetson | Mark McKinnon | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And who better to do that with than the actress who is playing the object of said (alleged) lesbian affection in the flick?
Inside the Lifetime Whitney Houston Movie’s Lesbian Lover Storyline | Kevin Fallon | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
If they run off with somebody else, we say they were stolen—as if they are an object or a commodity.
Owning Up to Possession’s Downside | Samantha Harvey | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He can barely speak the titles, but manages to let Viridiana and That Obscure object of Desire pass from his lips.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The show, Bell Hooks argued in Black Looks: Race and Representation, “represents wom[e]n as the object of a phallocentric gaze.”
Science-Fiction TV Finds a New Muse: Feminism | David Levesley | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The thought seemed to produce the dreaded object, for next moment a large hummock appeared right ahead.
The Giant of the North | R.M. Ballantyne
Naturally the conversation fell on the all-absorbing topic of the day and the object of his mission.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
To make the effort of articulation a vital impulse in response to a mental concept,—this is the object sought.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The object of this practise is to attain facility in manipulating the elements while maintaining the smooth quality of the tone.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Every time he is dressed, or sees his mother dress, he has an object-lesson in symmetrical arrangement.
Children's Ways | James Sully

British Dictionary definitions for object (1 of 2)

object¹

/ (ˈɒbdʒɪkt) /

noun

a tangible and visible thing
a person or thing seen as a focus or target for feelings, thought, etc: an object of affection

an aim, purpose, or objective
informal a ridiculous or pitiable person, spectacle, etc
philosophy that towards which cognition is directed, as contrasted with the thinking subject; anything regarded as external to the mind, esp in the external world
grammar a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase whose referent is the recipient of the action of a verb: See also direct object, indirect object
grammar a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that is governed by a preposition
no object not a hindrance or obstacle: money is no object
computing a self-contained identifiable component of a software system or design: object-oriented programming

Origin of object

C14: from Late Latin objectus something thrown before (the mind), from Latin obicere; see object ²

British Dictionary definitions for object (2 of 2)

object²

/ (əbˈdʒɛkt) /

verb

(tr; takes a clause as object) to state as an objection: he objected that his motives had been good
(intr often foll by to) to raise or state an objection (to); present an argument (against)

Origin of object

C15: from Latin obicere, from ob- against + jacere to throw

Derived forms of object

objector, noun

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

Cultural definitions for object

object

A part of a sentence; a noun, pronoun, or group of words that receives or is affected by the action of a verb. (See direct object, indirect object, and objective case.)

Other Idioms and Phrases with object

object

see money is no object.

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