objective

¹ob·jec·tive

adjective \əb-ˈjek-tiv, äb-\

Definition of OBJECTIVE

1

a : relating to or existing as an object of thought without consideration of independent existence —used chiefly in medieval philosophy

b : of, relating to, or being an object, phenomenon, or condition in the realm of sensible experience independent of individual thought and perceptible by all observers : having reality independent of the mind <objective reality> <our reveries … are significantly and repeatedly shaped by our transactions with the objective world — Marvin Reznikoff> — compare subjective 3a

c of a symptom of disease : perceptible to persons other than the affected individual — compare subjective 4c

d : involving or deriving from sense perception or experience with actual objects, conditions, or phenomena <objective awareness> <objective data>

2

: relating to, characteristic of, or constituting the case of words that follow prepositions or transitive verbs

3

a : expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations <objective art> <an objective history of the war> <an objective judgment>

b of a test : limited to choices of fixed alternatives and reducing subjective factors to a minimum

— ob·jec·tive·ly adverb

— ob·jec·tive·ness noun

— ob·jec·tiv·i·ty \ˌäb-ˌjek-ˈti-və-tē, əb-\ noun

Examples of OBJECTIVE

1. We need someone outside the company to give us an objective analysis.
2. <an objective assessment based solely upon the results of the experiment>
3. For no matter how objective Server tries to appear in detailing the highs and lows of her 67 years—the three marriages, the numerous affairs, the binges, the nightlong cruising of low-life byways and bordellos, the mainly poor movies she was in—he cannot really hide his essential fondness for her. —Peter Bogdanovich, New York Times Book Review, 23 Apr. 2006
4. I'm not going to read the history about it while I'm alive because I don't trust short-term history. Most historians wouldn't have voted for me, so I don't think they can write an objective history. —George W. Bush, quoted in Time, 6 Sept. 2004
5. “I'm not really a Hollywood person,” said Mr. [Clint] Eastwood, who lives mostly in Carmel. “Not that I don't like L.A., but I'm just a Northern California guy. And it's very hard to be objective about what you're doing in a town that's all consumed by the entertainment business.” —Bernard Weinraub,New York Times, 6 Aug. 1992

First Known Use of OBJECTIVE

1647

Related to OBJECTIVE

Synonyms

existential, experiential, experimental, empirical, observational

Antonyms

nonempirical, theoretical (also theoretic), unempirical

Related Words

actual, factual, genuine, hard, material, real; accepted, established, tried, tried-and-true; indisputable, undeniable; demonstrable, provable, verifiable

Near Antonyms

conjectural, hypothetical, speculative; unproven, unsubstantiated; metaphysical, transcendentalist, visionary

See Synonym Discussion at material, fair

Rhymes with OBJECTIVE

advective, affective, bijective, collective, connective, convective, corrective, defective, deflective, detective, directive, effective, elective, ejective, infective, inflective, injective, invective, perfective, perspective, projective, protective, reflective, respective, selective, subjective

²ob·jec·tive

noun \əb-ˈjek-tiv, äb-\

Definition of OBJECTIVE

1

: a lens or system of lenses that forms an image of an object

2

a : something toward which effort is directed : an aim, goal, or end of action

b : a strategic position to be attained or a purpose to be achieved by a military operation

Examples of OBJECTIVE

1. The main objective of the class is to teach basic typing skills.
2. She's expanding the business with the objective of improving efficiency.
3. We've set specific objectives for each day.
4. The first objective of the low-intensity war was to “bleed” India so that it would cut its losses and quit. —Pervez Hoodbhoy, Prospect, June 2003
5. The Orange Plan assumed an early Japanese capture of the Philippines, and made relief of the Philippines the main U.S. objective. —David M. Kennedy, Atlantic, March 1999
6. The President had largely stuck to his publicly stated goals—though the objective of smashing Iraq's military machine hadn't been so clear. —Elizabeth Drew, New Yorker, 6 May 1991
7. … their primary objective is not the enrollment of new voters but changing the party affiliation of old voters … —Lawrence King, Commonweal, 9 Oct. 1970

First Known Use of OBJECTIVE

1835

Related to OBJECTIVE

Synonyms

aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne (also bourn), design, dream, end, idea, ideal, intent, intention, mark, meaning, object, goal, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, thing

Related Words

grail, holy grail; plot, project, scheme; desire, hope, mind, wish; nirvana; destination, terminus

Near Antonyms

means, method, way

See Synonym Discussion at intention