subjectivity

noun

sub·​jec·​tiv·​i·​ty (ˌ)səb-ˌjek-ˈti-və-tē 

: 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

Unlike histories, they are not written retrospectively, and subjectivity is their central claim to truth. —Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026

Other studies have focused on the role of the journalist, finding that some sports journalists embrace a norm of subjectivity in their interaction with readers in order to attract partners in dialogue among the audience. —Daniel Jackson, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026

One reason is that once a challenge happens, there’s no room for human subjectivity. —Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2026

The point of cinematic realism is the inner life, and the miracle of movies is their power to portray subjectivity, though few filmmakers manage to attain that power—even despite their best efforts. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subjectivity

• absorptivity
• affectivity
• collectivity
• conductivity
• connectivity
• corrosivity
• creativity
• diffusivity
• directivity
• effectivity
• emissivity
• exclusivity

Medical Definition

subjectivity

noun

sub·​jec·​tiv·​i·​ty ˌsəb-jek-ˈtiv-ət-ē 

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)