target

American  

[tahr-git] / ˈtɑr gɪt /

noun

• targets
  plural

1. an object, usually marked with concentric circles, to be aimed at in shooting practice or contests.

2. any object used for this purpose.

3. anything fired at.

4. a goal to be reached.

   Synonyms:

   purpose, end, aim

5. an object of abuse, scorn, derision, etc.; butt.

6. Fencing. the portion of a fencer's body where a touch can be scored.

7. a disk-shaped signal, as at a railroad switch, indicating the position of a switch.

8. Surveying.

   1. the sliding sight on a leveling rod.

   2. any marker on which sights are taken.

9. a small shield, usually round, carried by a foot soldier; buckler.

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adjective

1. that is or may be a target or goal.

   The target group consisted of college graduates who earned more than $50,000 a year.

verb (used with object)

• targets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• targeted,
  past participle,  past
• targeting
  present participle

1. to use, set up, or designate as a target or goal.

2. to direct toward a target.

   The new warheads can be targeted with great precision.

3. to make a target of (an object, person, city, etc.) for attack or bombardment.

verb phrase

1. target (in) on to establish or use as a target or goal.

   The club is targeting on September for the move to larger quarters.

idioms

1. on target,

   1. properly aimed or on the right course toward a target.

   2. accurate, correct, or valid.

      Their description of the event was on target.

   3. filling or meeting a requirement or expectations.

      The amount of supplies we took was right on target.

target British  

/ ˈtɑːɡɪt /

noun

1. 1. an object or area at which an archer or marksman aims, usually a round flat surface marked with concentric rings

   2. ( as modifier )

      target practice

2. 1. any point or area aimed at; the object of an attack or a takeover bid

   2. ( as modifier )

      target area

      target company

3. a fixed goal or objective

   the target for the appeal is £10 000

4. a person or thing at which an action or remark is directed or the object of a person's feelings

   a target for the teacher's sarcasm

5. a joint of lamb consisting of the breast and neck

6. surveying a marker on which sights are taken, such as the sliding marker on a levelling staff

7. (formerly) a small round shield

8. physics electronics

   1. a substance, object, or system subjected to bombardment by electrons or other particles, or to irradiation

   2. an electrode in a television camera tube whose surface, on which image information is stored, is scanned by the electron beam

9. electronics an object to be detected by the reflection of a radar or sonar signal, etc

10. on the correct course to meet a target or objective

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verb

1. to make a target of

2. to direct or aim

   to target benefits at those most in need

target More Idioms  

1. see on target; sitting duck (target).

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• targetable
  adjective
• targetless
  adjective
• untargetable
  adjective
• untargeted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• targets
  plural

Participles

• targeting
  present
• targeted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• target
  simple
• targets
  simple
• have targeted
  perfect
• has targeted
  perfect
• am targeting
  progressive
• are targeting
  progressive
• is targeting
  progressive
• have been targeting
  perfect progressive
• has been targeting
  perfect progressive

Past

• targeted
  simple
• had targeted
  perfect
• was targeting
  progressive
• were targeting
  progressive
• had been targeting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will target
  simple
• will have targeted
  perfect
• will be targeting
  progressive
• will have been targeting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of target

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun, from Middle French targuete, variant of targete “small shield” see targe, -et

Explanation

A target is something to shoot at, either real or figurative. If you're an archer, you're aiming for the bull's-eye on the target. If you're selling cars for a living, then you likely have a sales target you need to hit. You can hit a target, which is usually a good thing, or, less happily, you can be a target, such as a target of ridicule when you wear that goofy Swiss cheese hat and you aren't even from Wisconsin. As a marketing ploy, you could target Green Bay Packer season ticket holders when you decide to unload that hat. You might find a buyer among them, someone who wouldn't worry about being a target for those who object to silly hats.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

target targets targeted targeting

"Our president says that it is better to leave Kyiv because this is target number one," she says.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing Viatris’ application for the approval of meloxicam, with a target action date of Dec. 27.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

She set a $230 price target for the stock, which implies about 15% upside from current prices.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

That makes Nav1.7 an unusual therapeutic target because it appears to influence both the sensation of pain and the physical deterioration of joint tissue.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

“Still, for all Grigori’s virtues, he is impulsive. He would rather target street kids than think higher. He lacks restraint and true vision.”

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Fast Retailing has set separate annual regional revenue targets of ¥1 trillion, or $6.33 billion, for Uniqlo’s operations in North America and Europe in about five years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Workers at both factories described pressure to meet group production targets of between 300 and 700 items a day.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Everpure stock has risen 36% since the company raised its long-term revenue targets at a recent investor day.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Porsche plans to make its cars even more exclusive while continuing to cut costs and streamline its operations as it targets higher profitability in coming years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The targets had once looked like straw men but now looked more like straw lumps.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

This is the third insurer the county has targeted over its January 2025 claims handling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Abubakar has floated a plan for a "targeted" subsidy, described as "capped and budgeted production support tied to fuel refined in Nigeria" to help bring down prices at the pump.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

Over the past year, the IDF has released videos of its operations in Gaza targeted at Hamas and other groups.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Immigration lawyers point out that the action is not a blanket suspension of green card applications for all employers, but a targeted enforcement freeze on the Permanent Labor Certification program for the eight named corporations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

“You’ve gone too far. You’ve attacked a Queen Mother, and you’ve targeted two misplaced children who accidentally found their way here. How would Nyame feel about this?”

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

A handful of other states have ballot measures targeting the cost of property taxes.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security has said ICE is not planning operations targeting polling places.

From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026

Instead, she said, governments should "look very carefully into the measures they're putting in place" and "sharpen the targeting of this support".

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Their checks also indicated that Toshiba doesn’t seem to be targeting market share gains through pricing, and that neither Western Digital nor Seagate intend to respond with incremental capacity expansions of their own.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

A TB epidemic, laced with MDR, had occurred in New York City in the late 1980s, largely targeting prisons, homeless shelters, and public hospitals.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• aim
• goal
• mark
• object
• objective