subjectivity
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being subjective; subjectiveness.
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a subjective thought or idea.
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intentness on internal thoughts.
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internal reality.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of subjectivity
First recorded in 1805–15; subjective + -ity; probably modeled on German Subjectivität
Explanation
Subjectivity refers to how someone’s judgment is shaped by personal opinions and feelings instead of outside influences. Subjectivity is partially responsible for why one person loves an abstract painting while another person hates it. Since a subject is a person, subjectivity refers to how a person's own uniqueness influences their perceptions. For example, if you have six sisters, that might influence how you view women or families — it's part of your subjectivity. Subjectivity is a form of bias and also individuality. Subjectivity is the opposite of objectivity, which is based purely on the facts and isn't personal. We expect judges to put aside their subjectivity and make decisions based on objectivity.
Vocabulary lists containing subjectivity
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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:
“There will always be an element of subjectivity in some decisions,” the organization’s head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina said, “but we are happy with how this principle has been applied throughout the tournament.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
The court’s language frames the issue as biology vs. identity, objectivity vs. subjectivity, reality vs. fiction.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
"Bringing these two fields together can open up for a more holistic psychology, in which both neurological mechanisms and subjective experience are included. In this way, we can understand subjectivity in a more scientific manner."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026
Handball is a prime example, with Uefa applying a strict interpretation - less room for subjectivity, fewer reasons for the VAR to leave it alone.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
It is an exercise, simultaneously, in a new objectivity and a new subjectivity.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Furthermore, the album engages with Berlant's concept of gendered subjectivities, which emphasizes the fluid and performative nature of identity.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2024
They own up to their own subjectivities and doubts.
From New York Times ● Feb. 17, 2021
“Awareness that one’s self possesses multiple possible subjectivities or identities resists categorization,” he writes.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 18, 2018
It bridges subjectivities: A keenly observed thought or feeling, one bearing all the traces of a particular mind, nonetheless takes root in your mind.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2013
He has none of those subjectivities, colourings, peculiarities of mental refraction, which necessitate varieties of style—could we spare such?—and render the perfections of it no merely negative qualities.
From Miscellaneous Studies; a series of essays by Pater, Walter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
