subjective

adjective

sub·jec·tive | \ (ˌ)səb-ˈjek-tiv

Essential Meaning of subjective

1 philosophy : relating to the way a person experiences things in his or her own mind subjective reality Dreaming is a subjective experience. a person's subjective perception of the world

2 : based on feelings or opinions rather than facts a subjective judgment/decision Personal taste in clothing is very subjective. See More ExamplesIn reviewing applicants, we consider both objective criteria, such as test scores, and subjective criteria, such as leadership ability. Law can be maddeningly subjective. So much is left up to your own interpretation.Hide

3 grammar : relating to nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns that are the subjects of verbs The pronoun "we" is in the subjective [=nominative] case in the sentence "We saw her."

Full Definition of subjective

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or constituting a subject: such as

a obsolete : of, relating to, or characteristic of one that is a subject especially in lack of freedom of action or in submissiveness

b : being or relating to a grammatical subject especially : nominative

2 : of or relating to the essential being of that which has substance, qualities, attributes, or relations

3a : characteristic of or belonging to reality as perceived rather than as independent of mind : phenomenal — compare objective sense 2a

b : relating to or being experience or knowledge as conditioned by personal mental characteristics or states

4a(1) : peculiar to a particular individual : personal subjective judgments

(2) : modified or affected by personal views, experience, or background a subjective account of the incident

b : arising from conditions within the brain or sense organs and not directly caused by external stimuli subjective sensations

c : arising out of or identified by means of one's perception of one's own states and processes a subjective symptom of disease — compare objective sense 2c

5 : lacking in reality or substance : illusory

subjective

noun

sub·jec·tive | \ (ˌ)səb-ˈjek-tiv

Definition of subjective (Entry 2 of 2)

: something that is subjective also : nominative

Other Words from subjective Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About subjective

Examples of subjective in a Sentence

Adjective Art is never a commodity. Commodities are identical units of sure value—bushels of wheat, say—whose price fluctuates from time to time and place to place. Art works are one-of-a-kind … items, materially worthless, which have in common that a price is asked for them. Their value is entirely subjective. — Peter Schjedlahl, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2009 Our perception of loudness is subjective, but sound has an intensity, independent of our hearing, that is measured in decibels (dB). — Jennifer Barone, Discover, July/August 2009 Science is the study of facts—things that are measurable, testable, repeatable, verifiable. I won't bore you with the inevitable discussion of objective reality and how it's ultimately unknowable because we filter it through our individual subjective realities, I'll cut directly to the chase. Science is about the stuff we can agree on. Rocks are hard, water is wet. — David Gerrold, Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 2005 Besides, I am not doing this for the anthropology. My aim is nothing so mistily subjective as to "experience poverty" or find out how it "really feels" to be a long-term low-wage worker. — Barbara Ehrenreich, Harper's, January 1999 Dreaming is a subjective experience. a person's subjective perception of the world Personal taste in clothing is very subjective. In reviewing applicants, we consider both objective criteria, such as test scores, and subjective criteria, such as leadership ability. Law can be maddeningly subjective. So much is left up to your own interpretation.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective To borrow a great line from Polygon’s review, humor is subjective. — Andy Meek, BGR, 24 Dec. 2021 Of course, like all things in the metaphysical space (astrology, tarot, palm reading, etc.), numerology is also subjective. — Aliza Kelly, Allure, 24 Dec. 2021 Memories are subjective, and that’s the hardest part. — Kristine M. Kierzek, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2021 What counts as fair is subjective, and part of the job of legislatures is to decide how people ought to be taxed. — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 19 Dec. 2021 Ultimately, though, conversations like this are always subjective — a different menu of worthy picks would have emerged from a different panel, or even from this same group on a different day. — New York Times, 17 Dec. 2021 Keyboard experience is subjective, but ThinkPads keyboards are some of the best in the business, with just the right combination of key travel, key firmness, and tactile feedback. — Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 17 Dec. 2021 To be sure, the awarding of medals is a subjective matter. — Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 11 Nov. 2020 It’s a body of work that’s simultaneously objective and subjective, in which Maier is both the author and a recurrent, ambiguous protagonist who lends the entire undertaking a kind of self-referential weight. — Jeremy Lybarger, The New Republic, 21 Dec. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Though famed as a regional pictorialist, her writing seems remarkably modern in its incorporation of the subjective and eroticism into narratives. — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Sep. 2021 But Ryan Germany, the general counsel in Raffensperger's office, said if the state doesn't switch from a subjective to an objective way of verifying absentee ballots, election officials could become targets, as some were after November. — Quinn Scanlan, ABC News, 20 Feb. 2021

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

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Dictionary Entries Near subjective

subjectional

subjective

subjective complement

Statistics for subjective

Last Updated

23 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Subjective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjective. Accessed 26 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for subjective

subjective

adjective

sub·jec·tive | \ səb-ˈjek-tiv

Kids Definition of subjective

: based mainly on opinions or feelings rather than on facts a subjective report

subjective

adjective

sub·jec·tive | \ (ˌ)səb-ˈjek-tiv

Medical Definition of subjective

1a : relating to or determined by the mind as the subject of experience subjective reality

b : characteristic of or belonging to reality as perceived rather than as independent of mind

c : relating to or being experience or knowledge as conditioned by personal mental characteristics or states

2a : arising from conditions within the brain or sense organs and not directly caused by external stimuli subjective sensations

b : arising out of or identified by means of one's perception of one's own states and processes and not observable by an examiner a subjective symptom of disease caused objective or subjective clinical improvement or both — Journal of the American Medical Association — compare objective sense 2