subjective

adjective

Save Word

sub·jec·tive | \ (ˌ)səb-ˈjek-tiv

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

Keep scrolling for more

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 The daily digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10. — Washington Post, "Today in D.C.: Headlines to start your Tuesday in D.C., Maryland and Virginia," 15 Dec. 2020 Robertson also worried because child welfare work could be highly subjective. — USA Today, "Her boyfriend spanked her child. For five years, she’s been paying the price.," 17 Dec. 2020 Please keep in mind that this list is subjective, so feel free to sound off on your 2020 favorites in the comments. — Washington Post, "Best TV episodes of 2020: ‘The Queen’s Gambit,’ ‘BoJack Horseman,’ ‘This Is Us’ and more," 8 Dec. 2020 But the principles of faith, at least as understood in 2020 America, are subjective, subject to shifting social mores and the differing beliefs of individual corporate executives. — WSJ, "What Do We Expect From Our Corporations?," 3 Dec. 2020 The independent think tank draws on quantitative data including GDP, unemployment and interest rates, as well as more subjective measures like life satisfaction and emotion, to determine overall well-being in specific countries. — Isis Davis-marks, Smithsonian Magazine, "The World’s First Happiness Museum Opens in Denmark," 1 Oct. 2020 There is going to be a lot more subjective this year. — oregonlive, "Larry Scott: Pac-12 has ‘overcome the major obstacles,’ doesn’t expect presidents and chancellors to vote Friday on resuming football," 18 Sep. 2020 While comfort level and pain relief are inherently subjective, there are mattresses that consider pain relief in their design. — Eric Alt, Popular Science, "Best mattress for your body and budget: Five things to consider," 8 Dec. 2020 The court considered this definition so subjective as to be impossible of proof. — Jack Greiner, The Enquirer, "Strictly Legal: "Slumlord" comment on Facebook not defamatory," 8 Dec. 2020

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about subjective

Dictionary Entries near subjective

subjective complement

subjective idealism

subjective theory

Statistics for subjective

Last Updated

11 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Subjective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjective. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for subjective

subjective

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of subjective

philosophy : relating to the way a person experiences things in his or her own mind

: based on feelings or opinions rather than facts

grammar : relating to nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns that are the subjects of verbs

See the full definition for subjective in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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

Keep scrolling for more