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Showing results for objectionable. Search instead for objectionably.
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

  • objectionability noun
  • objectionableness noun
  • objectionably adverb
  • superobjectionable adjective
  • superobjectionably adverb
  • unobjectionable adjective

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

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

Sure, we also got Brandi Carlile singing “America the Beautiful” and Charlie Puth, one of the least objectionable people in showbiz, performing the National Anthem.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 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

For instance, it's unclear what specifically Robinson found objectionable about Kirk.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2025

They were engaged in “loud talking and objectionable deportment...in public places.”

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield