objectivity

noun

ob·​jec·​tiv·​i·​ty ˌäb-ˌjek-ˈti-və-tē 

əb-

: the quality or character of being objective : lack of favoritism toward one side or another : freedom from bias

Many people questioned the selection committee's objectivity.

It can be difficult for parents to maintain objectivity about their children's accomplishments.

Many critics disputed the objectivity and reliability of his field observations, foreshadowing current anthropological concerns about the ability of any fieldworker to rise above personal preconceptions and impartially describe another culture.

—Bruce Bower

In journalistic circles, there was a good deal of hand-wringing that the bonds forged between reporters and soldiers could threaten objectivity.

—Mark Jurkowitz

Synonyms

• detachment
• disinterest
• disinterestedness
• equity
• evenhandedness
• fair-mindedness
• fairness
• impartiality
• justice
• neutralism
• neutrality
• nonpartisanship
• objectiveness

Examples of objectivity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike the New York Times, which concealed its ideological convictions under a suit-and-tie façade of objectivity, the Voice was resolutely committed to impassioned advocacy — the more expansively personal, the better. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024

Ethics and Professional Responsibilities: Candidates are tested on their understanding of ethical practices in auditing, including independence and objectivity. —Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024

Many people will tell you — or scream at you — that objectivity is a myth and journalists are just partisan hacks trying to advance their own agenda. —Sebastian Junger, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024

Republicans have said that those remarks call into question her objectivity. —Ernesto Londoño, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2023

The film was shot with 10 cameras concealed in locations across the house, and no crew on set, to create a sense of neutral objectivity in its storytelling. —Armani Syed, TIME, 12 Jan. 2024

This exposes subjectivity in all narratives of history and how text, paintings, or museum displays carry false senses of objectivity. —Hazlitt, 10 Jan. 2024

Increasingly, even people who likely support some of the most common and visible examples of these efforts (parental leave, fair pay, and hiring processes that promote objectivity and mitigate bias) are questioning whether the movement that produced these policies has gone astray. —Joelle Emerson, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2024

Kimbal’s reelection to the board has gotten pushback in recent years from an investor critical of his lack of relevant industry experience and a proxy adviser concerned about objectivity. —Craig Trudell, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

objective entry 1 + -ity

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above