subjective

American  

[suhb-jek-tiv] / səbˈdʒɛk tɪv /

adjective

1. existing in the mind; belonging to the thinking subject rather than to the object of thought (opposed to objective).

   Synonyms:

   mental

2. pertaining to or characteristic of an individual; personal; individual.

   a subjective evaluation.

3. placing excessive emphasis on one's own moods, attitudes, opinions, etc.; unduly egocentric.

4. Philosophy. relating to or of the nature of an object as it is known in the mind as distinct from a thing in itself.

5. relating to properties or specific conditions of the mind as distinguished from general or universal experience.

6. pertaining to the subject or substance in which attributes inhere; essential.

   Synonyms:

   inherent, substantial

7. Grammar.

   1. pertaining to or constituting the subject of a sentence.

   2. (in English and certain other languages) noting a case specialized for that use, as He in He hit the ball.

   3. similar to such a case in meaning.

8. Obsolete. characteristic of a political subject; submissive.

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subjective British  

/ səbˈdʒɛktɪv /

adjective

1. belonging to, proceeding from, or relating to the mind of the thinking subject and not the nature of the object being considered

2. of, relating to, or emanating from a person's emotions, prejudices, etc

   subjective views

3. relating to the inherent nature of a person or thing; essential

4. existing only as perceived and not as a thing in itself

5. med (of a symptom, condition, etc) experienced only by the patient and incapable of being recognized or studied by anyone else

6. grammar denoting a case of nouns and pronouns, esp in languages having only two cases, that identifies the subject of a finite verb and (in formal use in English) is selected for predicate complements, as in It is I See also nominative

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noun

1. grammar

   1. the subjective case

   2. a subjective word or speech element

Other Word Forms

• nonsubjective
  adjective
• nonsubjectiveness
  noun
• quasi-subjective
  adjective
• subjectively
  adverb
• subjectiveness
  noun
• subjectivity
  noun
• unsubjective
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of subjective

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: “submissive to a ruler,” from Latin subjectīvus; see subject, -ive

Explanation

Things that are subjective are open to interpretation. If you go see a movie about a jewel thief, the topic is not subjective. But whether it's a good movie or not is subjective. Subjective things depend on your own ideas and opinions: there isn't any universal truth. Subjective is the opposite of objective, which refers to things that are more clear-cut. That Earth has one moon is objective — it's a fact. Whether the moon is pretty or not is subjective — not everyone will agree. Facts are objective, but opinions are subjective. What's the best song, band, movie, or TV show? These are all very subjective issues. There's no right answer.

Example Sentences

Subjective offside decisions, those where the player does not touch the ball, are always controversial.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

Subjective cognitive decline is when a person reports memory and thinking problems before any decline is large enough to show up on standard tests.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

Subjective Case Antonio and I have occasional disagreements about the dishes.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Here's how our drinks resident John deBary put it in his book, "Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails":

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2021

Here we perceive the possibility of a conflict between Subjective Ethics and Objective Ethics, between the two principles upon which Ethics is founded.

From A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of Evolution by Williams, C. M.

Related Words

• abstract
• biased
• idiosyncratic
• illusory
• instinctive
• intuitive
• personal