What does "target" mean?
A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.
Target
/ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.
- Grammar: target is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aim, mark, objective, achievement standard.
- Useful contrasts: beholders, disregard, distractions.
- Usage evidence: Your point may be a little off target, but it certainly is close.
How to use "target"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "target" 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 "target" 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 "target" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "target" 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 "target" is acting as noun, verb 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 "target", 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 butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.
"Take careful aim at the target."
- 2 sports equipment consisting of an object set up for a marksman or archer to aim at wordnet
- 3 A goal or objective.
"Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers.[…]Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitious growth targets. That model is still prevalent today."
- 4 the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable) wordnet
- 5 An object of criticism or ridicule.
Show 18 more definitions
- 6 a reference point to shoot at wordnet
- 7 A person, place, or thing that is frequently attacked, criticized, or ridiculed.
- 8 the location of the target that is to be hit wordnet
- 9 A kind of shield:; A kind of small shield or buckler, used as a defensive weapon in war.
"These four came all afront, and mainly thrust at me. I made me no more ado but took all their seven points in my target, thus."
- 10 a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence wordnet
- 11 A kind of shield:; A shield resembling the Roman scutum, larger than the modern buckler. obsolete
"The target or buckler was carried by the heavy armed foot, it answered to the scutum of the Romans; its form was sometimes that of a rectangular parallelogram, but more commonly had its bottom rounded off; it was generally convex, being curved in its breadth."
- 12 A kind of shield:; A bearing representing a buckler.
"The fourth field is also party per pale, and for the dutchy of Genevois, contains chequered Or and azure: The sinister for the dutchy of Montserat, a target, gules. The point Or is a black eagle of the county of Maurienne."
- 13 The pattern or arrangement of a series of hits made by a marksman on a butt or mark.
"He made a good target."
- 14 The sliding crosspiece, or vane, on a leveling staff.
- 15 A conspicuous disk attached to a switch lever to show its position, or for use as a signal.
- 16 the number of runs that the side batting last needs to score in the final innings in order to win
- 17 The tenor of a metaphor.
- 18 The codomain of a function; the object at which a morphism points.
"Coordinate term: source"
- 19 The translated version of a document, or the language into which translation occurs.
"Do you charge by source or target?"
- 20 A person (or group of people) that a person or organization is trying to employ or to have as a customer, audience etc.
"Gary Cahill, a target for Arsenal and Tottenham before the transfer window closed, put England ahead early on and Rooney was on target twice before the interval as the early hostility of the Bulgarian supporters was swiftly subdued."
- 21 A thin cut; a slice; specifically, of lamb, a piece consisting of the neck and breast joints. UK, dated
- 22 A tassel or pendant. Scotland, obsolete
- 23 A shred; a tatter. Scotland, obsolete
Verb
- 1 To aim something, especially a weapon, at (a target). transitive
- 2 intend (something) to move towards a certain goal wordnet
- 3 To aim for as an audience or demographic. figuratively, transitive
"The advertising campaign targeted older women."
- 4 To produce code suitable for. transitive
"This cross-platform compiler can target any of several processors."
Antonyms
Example
"Your point may be a little off target, but it certainly is close."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "target"?
Common synonyms include: aim, mark, objective, achievement standard, aim, aim.
How do you use "target" in a sentence?
Your point may be a little off target, but it certainly is close.
How do you pronounce "target"?
Pronounced /ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/.
Etymology
From Middle French targette, targuete, diminutive of targe (“light shield”), from Old French, from Frankish *targa (“buckler”), akin to Old Norse targa (“small round shield”) (whence also Old English targe, targa (“shield”)) from Proto-Germanic *targǭ (“edge”), from Proto-Indo-European *derǵʰ- (“fenced lot”). Akin to Old High German zarga (“side wall, rim”) (German Zarge (“frame”)), Spanish tarjeta (“card”).