object

noun ob·ject \ ˈäb-jikt , -(ˌ)jekt \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: object in a Sentence

Definition of object

1 a : something material that may be perceived by the senses

I see an object in the distance.

b : something that when viewed stirs a particular emotion (such as pity)

Look on the tragic loading of this bed … the object poisons sight; let it be hid.
—William Shakespeare

2 a : something mental or physical toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed

an object for study

the object of my affection

delicately carved art objects

b : something physical that is perceived by an individual and becomes an agent for psychological identification

The mother is the primary object of the child.

3 a : the goal or end of an effort or activity : purpose, objective

Their object is to investigate the matter thoroughly.

The object of the game is to score the most points.

b : a cause for attention or concern

Money is no object.

4 : a thing that forms an element of or constitutes the subject matter of an investigation or science

objects of study

5 a : a noun or noun equivalent (such as a pronoun, gerund, or clause) denoting the goal or result of the action of a verb (such as ball in I hit the ball)

b : a noun or noun equivalent in a prepositional phrase (such as table in on the table)

6 a : a data structure in object-oriented programming that can contain functions (see ¹function 7) as well as data, variables, and other data structures

b : a discrete entity (such as a window or icon) in computer graphics (see ²graphic 2b) that can be manipulated independently of other such entities

—

objectless

play \ˈäb-jikt-ləs, -(ˌ)jekt-\ adjective

—

objectlessness

noun

See object defined for English-language learners

See object defined for kids

Examples of object in a Sentence

There were three objects in the box: a comb, a pen, and a button.
His object is to determine how much the business will cost to operate.

Recent Examples of object from the Web

Officer Guillermo Ravelo was charged with striking a man with his fist during a traffic stop and hitting another citizen with a blunt object.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Police Framed 16-Year-Old for Burglaries to Boost Crime Stats: Prosecutors," 12 June 2018
During the same time frame as the latest civil rights case, Ravelo was accused of hitting a driver with his fist during a traffic stop in April 2013 and of striking another person with a blunt object a few months later.

— charles rabin and jay weaver, miamiherald, "Ex-police chief, 2 officers framed teen for burglaries in tiny Miami town, feds say," 11 June 2018
Also worth considering: Anytime a sharp object goes near your face, there is a risk of damage to the skin.

— jessica cruel, SELF, "What’s Up With Dermaplaning? Here’s What Scalpel Facials Are Actually Doing to Your Face," 8 June 2018
Keith and Patrice Harrington, both 28, were found underneath bedding and had been beaten to death with a blunt object, possibly a metal sprinkler head, search warrant documents say.

— sam stanton, sacbee, "He was a teen chasing a prowler in 1977. He ended up being shot by the East Area Rapist," 8 June 2018
This is a very high-end object that probably worked only as an advertisement for a dentist.

— roslyn sulcas, New York Times, "This Exhibition Has Real Bite," 7 June 2018
Officers are required to be equipped with a bean bag shotgun when responding to a call of a person armed with a sharp object, said Capt.

— nicole santa cruz, latimes.com, "Fatal shootings by LAPD down but less lethal use of force is up, report says," 6 June 2018
The woman was suffering from a broken arm, stab wounds to her abdomen, marks from being hit with a blunt object, a leg infection and a possible fractured jaw, authorities said.

— nicholas rondinone, courant.com, "Springfield Man Faces Judge On New Charges Days After Three Bodies Found At Home," 4 June 2018
The probe is now gearing up for a flyby of a small object called 2014 MU69, which lies about 1 billion miles (1.6 billion km) beyond Pluto.

— mike wall, Scientific American, "Pluto Has Dunes, But They’re Not Made of Sand," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'object.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of object

Middle English, from Medieval Latin objectum, from Latin, neuter of objectus, past participle of obicere to throw in the way, present, hinder, from ob- in the way + jacere to throw — more at ob-, jet

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

object Synonyms

Phrases

name of the game;

Synonym Discussion of object

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain. intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

- announced his intention to marry

intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

- the clear intent of the statute

purpose suggests a more settled determination.

- being successful was her purpose in life

design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

- the order of events came by accident, not design

aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

- her aim was to raise film to an art form

end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

- willing to use any means to achieve his end

object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

- his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

- their objective is to seize the oil fields

goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

- worked years to reach her goals

object

verb ob·ject \ əb-ˈjekt \

Definition of object

transitive verb

: to put forth in opposition or as an objection

objected that the statement was misleading

intransitive verb

1 : to oppose something firmly and usually with words or arguments

2 : to feel distaste for something

—

objector

play \əb-ˈjek-tər\ noun

See object defined for English-language learners

Examples of object in a Sentence

No one objected when the paintings were removed.
“We can't buy the chair,” he objected. “It won't fit in the car.”

Recent Examples of object from the Web

The South Koreans assured Trump that Kim was open to giving up his nukes, wouldn’t object to U.S.-Korean military exercises and promised to stop nuclear and missile tests.

— brian bennett, Time, "This Is What Trump’s Impulsive Diplomacy Looks Like," 14 June 2018
Read what Todd Portune said a week ago, to the Enquirer: The Bengals haven't objected to Hamilton County, said Commissioner Todd Portune, the Board of Commissioners president.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty blog: Pump the brakes on your hatred of the Bengals in concert venue saga.," 12 June 2018
Prosecutor Steven Klinger said his office would not object to a judicial review.

— rafael olmeda, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Parkland shooter's lawyers and prosecutors debate release of confession," 9 June 2018
In the past, some have objected to long-term changes, hoping to leave the door open to commercial opportunity, while others are worried they may be impacted by declining biodiversity.

— chris johns, National Geographic, "High Seas Fishing Isn’t Just Destructive—It’s Unprofitable," 6 June 2018
The fund was remiss in not objecting when Mr Menem tried to spend his way to a third term in the late 1990s, just when money was flooding out of emerging economies.

— The Economist, "Why Argentines are wrong to scapegoat the IMF," 17 May 2018
Prosecutors don't object to unsealing the records but say a different judge who issued the warrants, Superior Court Judge Steve White, should make the decision.

— Fox News, "Media seek documents in California serial killer case," 14 May 2018
In 2015, when the BSA began accepting gay adult leaders, the Mormon church objected and threatened to withdraw its support.

— wes siler, Outside Online, "In Breakup with Boy Scouts, It’s Mormons Who Lose," 10 May 2018
Some conservatives object to the idea of the state intruding at all on family matters.

— mary jo pitzl, The Republic | azcentral.com, "New law defines when DCS can take a child without a judge's OK," 12 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of object

Middle English, from Latin objectus, past participle of obicere to throw in the way, object

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

object Synonyms

Synonyms

demur, except, expostulate, protest, remonstrate (with);

Near Antonyms

approve, sanction;

accept;

accede, acquiesce, agree, assent;

adhere, comply, conform, follow, mind, obey, observe;

advocate, champion, defend, maintain, support, sustain, uphold;

applaud, cheer, commend;

Related Words

cavil, quibble;

challenge, dare, defy, fight;

conflict, debate, dispute, hassle, quarrel, squabble, wrangle;

beef, bellyache, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, keen, moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl;

balk, gag, stick;

censure, criticize, denounce;

disobey, rebel, withstand;

demonstrate;

Phrases

take exception, take issue;

object

adjective \ ˈäb-jikt , -(ˌ)jekt \

Definition of object

: of, relating to, or being object code

an object file

Recent Examples of object from the Web

In South Korea, where the government of President Moon Jae-in has been pushing for the détente between the United States and North Korea, officials did not object outright to Mr. Trump’s surprise announcement about military drills.

— motoko rich, New York Times, "Trump-Kim Summit Creates New Anxieties for Asian Allies," 13 June 2018
Annihilation’s great achievement is in exploring these themes through object embodiment, rather than in words.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Annihilation Is a Brilliant Splicing of Woolf With Cronenberg," 27 Feb. 2018
Fans will no doubt object to the change since the race - like everything else about Marlins baseball - is steeped in tradition, dating all the way back to 2012.

— bud shaw, cleveland.com, "Which trade deadline addition will make the biggest impact for the Cavs: Bud vs. Doug," 14 Feb. 2018
But Democrats — who are typically fiercely opposed to any reductions in Medicare, which would see roughly $25 billion in cuts per year — did not object Thursday.

— author: mike debonis, erica werner, Anchorage Daily News, "Congress averts partial government shutdown with Senate passage of stopgap spending bill," 22 Dec. 2017
Hence, the New Yorker’s dilemma: resign yourself to living with an unsightly object year-round or go to the trouble of removing it?

— ronda kaysen, New York Times, "The Window Air-Conditioner: Should It Stay or Go?," 3 Nov. 2017
Princeton Lightwave's technology will help Argo move forward in handling object detection in challenging scenarios, such as fog, heavy rain and snow and safely operating at high speeds.

— greg gardner, Detroit Free Press, "Ford partner Argo AI buys Princeton Lightwave to expand autonomous tools," 27 Oct. 2017
Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, didn’t even object to Senator Orrin Hatch’s suggestion that Hill had copied one of her stories about Clarence Thomas from The Exorcist.

— rebecca traister, The Cut, "The Conversation We Should Be Having," 19 Oct. 2017
Project Quantum has several strands to it: Mozilla has developed a new CSS engine, Stylo, that parses CSS files, applies the styling rules to elements on the page, and calculates object sizes and positions.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "Firefox takes a Quantum leap forward with new developer edition," 26 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of object

1959

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

OBJECT Defined for English Language Learners

object

noun

Definition of object for English Language Learners

: a thing that you can see and touch and that is not alive
: someone or something that makes you feel a specified emotion
: someone or something that your attention or interest is directed toward

object

verb

Definition of object for English Language Learners

: to disagree with something or oppose something
: to say (something that explains why you oppose something or disagree)

OBJECT Defined for Kids

object

noun ob·ject \ ˈäb-jikt \

Definition of object for Students

1 : something that may be seen or felt

Tables and chairs are objects.

2 : purpose, aim

The object is to raise money.

3 : something that arouses feelings in an observer

That diamond is the object of their envy.

4 : a noun or a term behaving like a noun that receives the action of a verb or completes the meaning of a preposition

object

verb ob·ject \ əb-ˈjekt \

Definition of object for Students

objected; objecting

1 : to offer or mention as a reason for a feeling of disapproval

She objected that the price was too high.

2 : to oppose something firmly and usually with words

Surely her mother would not object to a nutritious hard-boiled egg.
—Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby

Synonym Discussion of object

object and protest mean to oppose something by arguing against it. object is used of a person's great dislike or hatred.

- I object to being called a liar.

protest is used for the act of presenting objections in speech, writing, or in an organized, public demonstration.

- There were several groups protesting the building of the airport.

Medical Dictionary

object

noun ob·ject \ ˈäb-(ˌ)jekt, -jikt \

medical Definition of object

1 : something material that may be perceived by the senses

2 : something mental or physical toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed

Law Dictionary

object

noun ob·ject \ ˈäb-jikt \

legal Definition of object

1 : something toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed — see also natural object

2 : the purpose or goal of something; especially, in the civil law of Louisiana : the purpose for which a contract or obligation is formed

object

transitive verb ob·ject \ əb-ˈjekt \

legal Definition of object

: to state in opposition or as an objection

objected that the evidence was inadmissible

intransitive verb

: to state opposition especially to something in a judicial proceeding

objected to the testimony on the ground that it was hearsay

Learn More about object

See words that rhyme with object Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for object Spanish Central: Translation of object Nglish: Translation of object for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of object for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about object

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object

Definition of object

objectless

objectlessness

Examples of object in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of object

object Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

Synonym Discussion of object

object

Definition of object

objector

Examples of object in a Sentence

Recent Examples of object from the Web

Origin and Etymology of object

object Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

object

Definition of object

Recent Examples of object from the Web

First Known Use of object

Phrases Related to OBJECT

Related Phrases

OBJECT Defined for English Language Learners

object

Definition of object for English Language Learners

object

Definition of object for English Language Learners

OBJECT Defined for Kids

object

Definition of object for Students

object

Definition of object for Students

Synonym Discussion of object

Medical Dictionary

object

medical Definition of object

Law Dictionary

object

legal Definition of object

object

legal Definition of object

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