object
noun
anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.
Trivia Time
Which term, borrowed from French, describes a small, interesting object?
object
1 American
[ob-jikt, -jekt, uhb-jekt]
/ ˈɒb dʒɪkt, -dʒɛkt, əbˈdʒɛkt /
noun
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objects
plural
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anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.
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a thing, person, or matter to which thought or action is directed.
an object of medical investigation.
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the end toward which effort or action is directed; goal; purpose.
Profit is the object of business.
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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.
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anything that may be apprehended intellectually.
objects of thought.
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Optics. the thing of which a lens or mirror forms an image.
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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.
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Digital Technology.
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any item that can be individually selected or manipulated, as a picture, data file, or piece of text.
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in object-oriented programming, a self-contained entity that consists of both data and operations to manipulate the data.
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Metaphysics. something toward which a cognitive act is directed.
verb (used without object)
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objects,
present (3rd person singular)
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objected,
past participle, past
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objecting
present participle
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to offer a reason or argument in opposition.
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to express or feel disapproval, dislike, or distaste; be averse.
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to refuse or attempt to refuse to permit some action, speech, etc.
verb (used with object)
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objects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
objected,
past participle, past
-
objecting
present participle
-
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.
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Archaic. to bring forward or cite in opposition.
object.
2
American
abbreviation
-
objection.
-
objective.
object
1
British
/ ˈɒbdʒɪkt /
noun
-
a tangible and visible thing
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a person or thing seen as a focus or target for feelings, thought, etc
an object of affection
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an aim, purpose, or objective
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informal a ridiculous or pitiable person, spectacle, etc
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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
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grammar a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase whose referent is the recipient of the action of a verb See also direct object indirect object
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grammar a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that is governed by a preposition
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not a hindrance or obstacle
money is no object
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computing a self-contained identifiable component of a software system or design
object-oriented programming
object
2
British
/ əbˈdʒɛkt /
verb
-
(tr; takes a clause as object) to state as an objection
he objected that his motives had been good
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to raise or state an objection (to); present an argument (against)
object
Cultural
object
Idioms
Synonym Usage
See aim.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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objectsimple
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objectssimple
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have objectedperfect
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has objectedperfect
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am objectingprogressive
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are objectingprogressive
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is objectingprogressive
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have been objectingperfect progressive
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has been objectingperfect progressive
Past
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objectedsimple
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had objectedperfect
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was objectingprogressive
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were objectingprogressive
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had been objectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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- ( def. ), jet 1 ( def. )); verb from Middle French obje(c)ter, from Latin objectāre “to throw or put before, oppose,” frequentative of obicere, objicere, as above
Explanation
When your younger brother runs around the house with scissors, you should definitely object. Perhaps a less sharp object such as a roll of paper towels would suffice. An object (OB-ject) is something that is a visible entity, something that can be perceived by the senses. If you are unsure whether something is an object, test it by seeing whether it can cast a shadow; if it can, it's an object, if it can't, it's not. In court, lawyers will often say, "I object!" Here, the verb object (ob-JECT) means to express disagreement.
Vocabulary lists containing object
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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 exosatellite is clearly massive enough to be a planet, but it does not orbit a star, though it orbits an object that orbits a star," says Hoy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
The code is now subject to a 40-day period of parliamentary scrutiny, during which MPs and peers can object before it is formally issued.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
He had furloughed people who handled such things during the partial government shutdown over immigration, and since he famously lacks patience, Hegseth sent a couple of flunkies to retrieve the historic object immediately.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
Seen one way, Roy’s talismanic manicure is an object lesson for her fiercest critics: all flash and no substance, evidence the 34-year-old lacks the “gravitas” to be among the state’s most powerful elected lawyers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
For an orbiting object to land at a specific location on Earth at a specific time, it has to be navigated to a precise point in outer space.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
"And they could not see the object. With JWST, our entire observation took around two hours, and we were successful."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
"What is left is an inanimate object. Like all other objects, some people have no interest in this, some people think it's repulsive, but other people like them and they collect them."
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
“Your honor, I object. This case is not funny!” pleads the prosecutor amid the sweltering hilarity, but few appear to agree with him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
The chimney, says Akashi, is “a kind of restless object. It only functions with a home.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
“It’s beautiful and powerful, and I dare Principal Rivera to object. Let’s do it.”
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
The report has been published alongside an exhibition at the Manx Museum entitled Jeihosphere, which tells the Biosphere's story through 10 objects, running until 28 February.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
A new chemical analysis challenges earlier theories about the asteroid's birthplace and suggests that Jupiter played an important role in shaping the materials from which Bennu and other ancient objects formed.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
According to the proposed scenario, the parent bodies of Bennu and Ryugu, along with the objects that produced CI meteorites, formed from this thoroughly mixed material.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
A new website housing documents the Pentagon is releasing on UFOs has a retro feel, with black-and-white military imagery of flying objects displayed prominently and statements in typewriter-like font.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
It was only the Widow Ashton’s inability to see objects clearly without her pince-nez that prevented her from spotting her daughter-in-law the moment she climbed out of her carriage.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
A spokeswoman for Applied Optoelectronics said the fiber-optic manufacturer objected because it wasn’t sure how tokenization would affect its stock price, liquidity and volatility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
A senior Labour councillor from Cardiff council - which has an agreement to sell the site to the developer - had also objected.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Also on metals, he has objected to reductions in tariffs on so-called derivative products—finished products made of steel and aluminum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Unlike Greenland, no countries objected to their joining the U.S.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026
“We have no horses, either,” objected Taran, “but we’re making horseshoes.”
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
After a few weeks, Iran, objecting to U.S. efforts to guide ships through the waterway, went back to attacking vessels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
According to minutes from a Thursday hearing on the matter, Rockwell concluded that, to the extent the measure’s backers object to that language, they are objecting to “the provisions of the measure itself.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Ruth said her brothers are objecting and have threatened to sue Ruth over their potential inheritance and custody of the remains.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
While objecting to the subpoenas in court, the company simultaneously convinced the DOJ to drop the case, he said.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
I don’t bother objecting to her makeover attempts anymore.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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