subjectivity

noun

sub·​jec·​tiv·​i·​ty (ˌ)səb-ˌjek-ˈti-və-tē How to pronounce subjectivity (audio)
: the quality, state, or nature of being subjective
Any attempt to link landscapes and music together can suffer from some measure of subjectivity.David J. Keeling
He thinks that scientists and philosophers have unjustly neglected the subjectivity of conscious experience and that this has made it harder for them to explain some of the workings of the mind.Anthony Gottlieb

Examples of subjectivity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The stakes of the show didn’t just expand to include the malefactor’s subjectivity and despair. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 The researchers are well aware of the subjectivity and individuality of the sense of smell. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Sep. 2023 Earlier this year, Associated Press Investigative Journalist Garance Burke reported that experts said the override system could bring subjectivity into increasingly consequential decisions. Kennedy Sessions, Chron, 8 Feb. 2023 Raising the salary threshold would make this practice less common by eliminating the subjectivity in determining which workers should receive overtime pay. Noam Scheiber, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023 Some states have intervened to take subjectivity out of the process. Collin Binkley, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2023 How to lasso multiple perspectives, and subjectivities, into a single term? E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023 Bias and subjectivity: Reddit attracts users from various backgrounds and viewpoints, so the information shared can be subjective and influenced by personal opinions or biases. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2023 The work’s serene precision and contemplative subjectivity emerged during a period of epochal upheaval in Denmark. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subjectivity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subjectivity was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near subjectivity

Cite this Entry

“Subjectivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjectivity. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Medical Definition

subjectivity

noun
sub·​jec·​tiv·​i·​ty ˌsəb-jek-ˈtiv-ət-ē How to pronounce subjectivity (audio)
plural subjectivities
1
: subjective character, quality, state, or nature
2
: the personal qualities of an investigator that affect the outcome of scientific or medical research (as by unconsciously communicating a bias to the subject of the experiment)

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