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.

---

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

---

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

It’s an extremely subjective list, but the stakes could be high — the Seattle Seahawks had our No. 1 video last May and went on to win the Super Bowl nine months later.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

"I think about the adage, 'What gets measured gets managed.' An aspirational goal in mental health would be to combine subjective experience with objective biological testing," said Perez.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

Because, while handball before a goal is considered a factual decision, whether you think the ball touched the fingers in a case like this is very much subjective.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Depression and fatigue are, after all, mostly subjective experiences.

From Slate • May 3, 2026

And these subjective states, in turn, were automatically stored away somewhere in me.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Related Words

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