What does "objective" mean?
A material object that physically exists.
Objective
/əbˈd͡ʒɛk.tɪv/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A material object that physically exists.
- Grammar: objective is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: aim, target, absolute improvement, academic impartiality.
- Useful contrasts: subjective, angled, arbitrary fines.
- Usage evidence: Being objective means not telling everybody whose side you are on.
How to use "objective"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "objective" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "objective" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "objective" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "objective" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "objective" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aim" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "objective", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A material object that physically exists.
- 2 the lens or system of lenses in a telescope or microscope that is nearest the object being viewed wordnet
- 3 A goal that is striven for.
"His [Henry Sweet's] true objective was the provision of a full, accurate, legible script for our noble but ill-dressed language; but he was led past that by his contempt for the popular Pitman system of Shorthand, which he called the Pitfall system."
- 4 the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable) wordnet
- 5 The objective case.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a noun or pronoun in the objective case.
- 7 The lens or lenses of a camera, microscope, or other optical device closest to the object being examined.
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to a material object, actual existence or reality.
- 2 Not influenced by the strong emotions or prejudices.
- 3 Based on observed facts; without purely subjective assessment.
"Engagement of employees in the Public Administration and in the wider Public Sector, ..., shall take place either by competitive entry examination or by selection on the basis of predefined and objective criteria, and shall be subject to the control of an independent authority, as specified by law."
- 4 Of, or relating to a noun or pronoun used as the object of a verb.
"Let us now glance at the demonstrative and relative pronouns. Of the former there are but two in English, this and that, with their plural forms, these and those. To them, American adds a third, them, which is also the personal pronoun of the third person, objective case."
- 5 Of, or relating to verbal conjugation that indicates the object (patient) of an action. (In linguistic descriptions of Tundra Nenets, among others.)
"The general finite stem is the verbal stem which serves as the basis of inflection in the indicative present and past in the subjective conjugation and the objective conjugation with the singular and dual object."
Adjective
- 1 belonging to immediate experience of actual things or events wordnet
- 2 undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena wordnet
- 3 emphasizing or expressing things as perceived without distortion of personal feelings or interpretation wordnet
- 4 serving as or indicating the object of a verb or of certain prepositions and used for certain other purposes wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Being objective means not telling everybody whose side you are on."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "objective"?
Common synonyms include: aim, target, absolute improvement, academic impartiality, academic language, academic objectivity.
How do you use "objective" in a sentence?
Being objective means not telling everybody whose side you are on.
How do you pronounce "objective"?
Pronounced /əbˈd͡ʒɛk.tɪv/.
Etymology
From Middle English obgectyf, from Middle French objectif and its etymon Medieval Latin obiectīvus. By surface analysis, object + -ive.