object

noun ob·ject \ ˈäb-jikt , -(ˌ)jekt \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

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

Larger asteroids flew by in closer proximity in 2001 and 2002, according to NASA’s near-Earth object observation database.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "An Unexpected Asteroid Buzzed by Earth Last Sunday," 19 Apr. 2018
Heavier objects vibrate differently compared with lighter ones.

— science buddies, Scientific American, "Crash, Clunk, Thump--Let's Make Some Noise!," 19 Apr. 2018
It is filled with priceless art, one-of-a-kind objects and relics from a fascinating period in history.

— doreen christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Melania Trump visits Henry Flagler Museum on Wednesday; Here's when you can get in for free," 18 Apr. 2018
Streeter will show participants how to protect themselves using everyday objects such as a ballpoint pen or keys and cover situational awareness and how to stay strong in your older years.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Free self-defense class for adults 50 and older," 18 Apr. 2018
To my peers, World War II was bound to be a story told through disparate objects.

— maya dukmasova, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / History / News On winning wars and losing memories," 18 Apr. 2018
Others plugged the gaping hole on the window with jackets and other objects, said Martinez, who was sitting two rows away from the woman.

— faith karimi and steve almasy, CNN, "Southwest passengers grabbed woman sucked out of window in deadly engine failure," 18 Apr. 2018
The Air Force currently tracks space objects larger than 10 cm and issues alerts to satellite operators - and other nations - about potential collisions.

— justin bachman, chicagotribune.com, "America wants to be a traffic cop for satellites and space junk," 18 Apr. 2018
The underlying premise of NFL cheerleaders is degrading, presenting women as nothing more than objects to be leered at.

— nancy armour, USA TODAY, "No place in the NFL for cheerleaders in 2018," 18 Apr. 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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 Associated Press reports that animal rights groups object to the race claiming the dogs involved are run to exhaustion, experience paw infections and fractures.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Understanding the Doping Controversy That’s Hit Sled Dog Racing," 31 Oct. 2017
He and Mayor Steve Harvey repeatedly called for order as audience members objected to the classification.

— benjy egel, sacbee, "Councilman unleashes profane tirade at ‘idiot’ citizen during public meeting," 30 Oct. 2017
On Friday, Bondi sent a three-page letter to Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie L. Jones saying the state objects to granting Simpson permission to relocate to Florida.

— sean rossman, USA TODAY, "Florida attorney general doesn't want O.J. Simpson to move to her state," 30 Sep. 2017
The irascible but ultimately patient-protecting Dr. Cox objects loudly.

— steven lubet, Slate Magazine, "Are You at Risk of Alzheimer’s?," 22 Aug. 2017
Louisiana legislators who were upset about Edwards' order also only objected to the language that protected transgender people, and didn't complain about protections for lesbian and gay state workers.

— julia o'donoghue, NOLA.com, "John Bel Edwards can't protect LGBT state workers, appeals court rules," 1 Nov. 2017
The committee weighs in Hanson said the development was a bad choice for the committee, and objected to the height of the proposal.

— karen pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wauwatosa committee rejected a plan for an 18-story tower at St. Camillus," 26 Oct. 2017
Just last month, Southwest Airlines had to apologize after a similar incident in which a woman was dragged off her flight for objecting to another passenger’s pet being on the flight.

— david meyer, Fortune, "2 Cops Were Fired After Officers Dragged a Bloodied Passenger off a United Airlines Flight," 18 Oct. 2017
Neighbors had objected to possible noise and light pollution from the golf entertainment facility.

— ely portillo, charlotteobserver, "Controversial new development plan approved in University City," 16 Oct. 2017

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

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

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
Witness his Instagram feed, which regularly features object tableaux from his home in Rome

— Harper's BAZAAR, "Gucci's Urban Garden," 19 July 2017

First Known Use of object

1959

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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