objective

[ uhb-jek-tiv ]

/ əbˈdʒɛk tɪv /

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See synonyms for: objective / objectives / objectively / objectiveness on Thesaurus.com

noun

something that one's efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose; goal; target: the objective of a military attack;the objective of a fund-raising drive.

Grammar.

Also called ob·jec·tive case [uhb-jek-tiv keys] /əbˈdʒɛk tɪv ˈkeɪs/ . (in English and some other languages) a case specialized for the use of a form as the object of a transitive verb or of a preposition, as him in The boy hit him, or me in He comes to me with his troubles.
a word in that case.

Also called object glass, object lens, ob·jec·tive lens

[uhb-jek-tiv lenz] /əbˈdʒɛk tɪv ˈlɛnz/ .Optics. (in a telescope, microscope, camera, or other optical system) the lens or combination of lenses that first receives the rays from the object and forms the image in the focal plane of the eyepiece, as in a microscope, or on a plate or screen, as in a camera.

adjective

being the object or goal of one's efforts or actions.

not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion.

intent upon or dealing with things external to the mind rather than with thoughts or feelings, as a person or a book.

being the object of perception or thought; belonging to the object of thought rather than to the thinking subject (opposed to subjective).

of or relating to something that can be known, or to something that is an object or a part of an object; existing independent of thought or an observer as part of reality.

Grammar.

pertaining to the use of a form as the object of a transitive verb or of a preposition.
(in English and some other languages) noting the objective case.
similar to such a case in meaning.
(in case grammar) pertaining to the semantic role of a noun phrase that denotes something undergoing a change of state or bearing a neutral relation to the verb, as the rock in The rock moved or in The child threw the rock.

being part of or pertaining to an object to be drawn: an objective plane.

Medicine/Medical. (of a symptom) discernible to others as well as the patient.

OTHER WORDS FOR objective

1 object, destination, aim.

5 impartial, fair, impersonal, disinterested.

See synonyms for objective on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR objective

5 personal.

See antonyms for objective on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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Origin of objective

First recorded in 1610–20; from Medieval Latin objectīvus, equivalent to Latin object(us) (see object) + -īvus adjective suffix (see -ive)

OTHER WORDS FROM objective

ob·jec·tive·ly, adverbob·jec·tive·ness, nounpre·ob·jec·tive, adjectivequa·si-ob·jec·tive, adjective

sem·i·ob·jec·tive, adjectivesem·i·ob·jec·tive·ness, nounun·ob·jec·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use objective in a sentence

To meet these objectives, Bose agency MediaCom leveraged Microsoft Advertising to promote sales and offers, reinforce their brand message and deliver enticing calls to action.
Don’t miss out on the most unpredictable holiday season yet|Sponsored Content: Microsoft Advertising|November 18, 2020|Search Engine Land
If you need something exceptionally light for an objective, just reuse a Gatorade or Smartwater container, as many thru-hikers do.
How to Choose the Right Water Bottle for You|Joe Jackson|November 17, 2020|Outside Online
Those shortcomings include not accounting for ad position bias, users’ Save or Hide actions and brand awareness objectives.
Social Shorts: Instagram pegs Reels and Shop, Pinterest’s engagement metric, TikTok’s size and more|Ginny Marvin|November 16, 2020|Search Engine Land
This argument could advance the objectives of a political candidate and appeal to his supporters, but it can also undermine trust that the electoral process is fair.
Five election misinformation campaigns to avoid resharing|By Starbird, West, & DiResta/The Conversation|November 6, 2020|Popular-Science

When talking to other people about our experiences, sometimes we find ourselves saying things that sound objective.
The Life-Changing Magic of Ignoring the Ratings|Brendan Leonard|November 5, 2020|Outside Online
His ideology is just so strong and so powerful that it clouds his vision for common sense and objectiveness.
The Sydney Astrologer Turned Islamic Radical|Jacob Siegel|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It also is interesting to compare the subjectiveness and objectiveness of sensations.
Visual Illusions|Matthew Luckiesh
The bond between the man and his art is so necessary and immediate that no objectiveness of method can conceal it.
Personality in Literature|Rolfe Arnold Scott-James
No consciousness, properly so called, can exist, if this objectiveness be absolutely destroyed.
Fundamental Philosophy, Vol. I (of 2)|Jaime Luciano Balmes
We have already seen that this objectiveness is not directly demonstrable a priori, and yet we stand in need of it.
Fundamental Philosophy, Vol. I (of 2)|Jaime Luciano Balmes
We distinguish sleep from waking, even abstracting the objectiveness of the sensations.
Fundamental Philosophy, Vol. I (of 2)|Jaime Luciano Balmes

British Dictionary definitions for objective

objective

/ (əbˈdʒɛktɪv) /

adjective

existing independently of perception or an individual's conceptionsare there objective moral values?

undistorted by emotion or personal bias

of or relating to actual and external phenomena as opposed to thoughts, feelings, etc

med (of disease symptoms) perceptible to persons other than the individual affected

grammar denoting a case of nouns and pronouns, esp in languages having only two cases, that is used to identify the direct object of a finite verb or preposition and for various other purposes. In English the objective case of pronouns is also used in many elliptical constructions (as in Poor me! Who, him?), as the subject of a gerund (as in It was me helping him), informally as a predicate complement (as in It's me), and in nonstandard use as part of a compound subject (as in John, Larry, and me went fishing)See also accusative

of, or relating to a goal or aim

noun

the object of one's endeavours; goal; aim

Also called: objective point military a place or position towards which forces are directed

an actual phenomenon; reality

grammar

the objective case
a word or speech element in the objective case

Also called: object glass optics

the lens or combination of lenses nearest to the object in an optical instrument
the lens or combination of lenses forming the image in a camera or projector

Abbreviation: objCompare: subjective

Derived forms of objective

objectival (ˌɒbdʒɛkˈtaɪvəl), adjectiveobjectively, adverbobjectivity or rare objectiveness, 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

Medical definitions for objective

objective

[ əb-jĕk′tĭv ]

The lens or lenses in the lower end of a microscope or other optical instrument that first receives light rays from the object being examined and forms its image.

adj.

Based on observable phenomena; presented factually.

Indicating a symptom or condition perceived as a sign of disease by someone other than the person affected.

Scientific definitions for objective

objective

[ əb-jĕk′tĭv ]

The lens or mirror in a microscope or other optical instrument that first receives light rays from the object and forms the image.

objective

OTHER WORDS FOR objective

OPPOSITES FOR objective

Origin of objective

OTHER WORDS FROM objective

Words related to objective

How to use objective in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for objective

Derived forms of objective

Medical definitions for objective

Scientific definitions for objective