objective

Borrowed from French objectif, from Latin objectivus.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɒbˈd͡ʒɛk.tɪv/, /əbˈd͡ʒɛk.tɪv/
• (US) IPA^(key): /əbˈd͡ʒɛk.tɪv/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛktɪv

objective (comparative more objective, superlative most objective)

1. Of or relating to a material object, actual existence or reality.
2. Not influenced by the emotions or prejudices.
3. Based on observed facts; without subjective assessment.
   • 1975, Constitution of Greece:

     Engagement of employees in the Public Administration and in the wider Public Sector, ..., shall take place either by competitive entry examination or by selection on the basis of predefined and objective criteria, and shall be subject to the control of an independent authority, as specified by law.

   • 2018, Clarence Green, James Lambert, “Advancing disciplinary literacy through English for academic purposes: Discipline-specific wordlists, collocations and word families for eight secondary subjects”, in Journal of English for Academic Purposes, volume 35, →DOI, page 106:

     The value of pedagogical material informed by objective methodological procedures developed in corpus linguistics is widely recognized.

4. (grammar) Of, or relating to a noun or pronoun used as the object of a verb.
   • 1921 [1919], H. L. Mencken, chapter 41, in The American Language, 2nd edition, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, →OCLC:

     Let us now glance at the demonstrative and relative pronouns. Of the former there are but two in English, this and that, with their plural forms, these and those. To them, American adds a third, them, which is also the personal pronoun of the third person, objective case.

5. (linguistics, grammar) Of, or relating to verbal conjugation that indicates the object (patient) of an action. (In linguistic descriptions of Tundra Nenets, among others.)
   • 2014, Irina Nikolaeva, A Grammar of Tundra Nenets, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, →ISBN:

     The general finite stem is the verbal stem which serves as the basis of inflection in the indicative present and past in the subjective conjugation and the objective conjugation with the singular and dual object.

• Said of account, judgment, criteria, person, existence, or observation.

• subjective

objective (plural objectives)

1. A material object that physically exists.
2. A goal that is striven for.
   • 1912, George Bernard Shaw, “Preface”, in Pygmalion‎:

     His true objective was the provision of a full, accurate, legible script for our noble but ill-dressed language; but he was led past that by his contempt for the popular Pitman system of Shorthand, which he called the Pitfall system.

   • 1962 October, Brian Haresnape, “Focus on B.R. passenger stations”, in Modern Railways, page 252:

     The Group has recently concentrated on two main objectives, the implementation of a Code of Practice on minor station improvements and the preparation of a stock list of approved items of equipment for railway stations.

   • 2012, Christine Wilding, chapter 2, in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Croydon, UK: CPI Group (UK) Ltd, page 15:

     Objectives are the stepping stones which guide you to achieving your goals. They must be verifiable in some way, whether thatʼs statistically – ‘the more I do this, the better I get at itʼ – or by some other achievable concept such as getting the job or relationship that you want. Itʼs crucial that your objectives lead you logically towards your goal and are quantifiable.

   • 2020 December 2, Industry Insider, “The costs of cutting carbon”, in Rail, page 76:

     The new imperative for investment is the Government's objective to secure carbon-neutral transport emissions by 2040.

3. (grammar) The objective case.

   Synonyms: object case, objective case

4. (grammar) a noun or pronoun in the objective case.
5. The lens or lenses of a camera, microscope, or other optical device closest to the object being examined.

• See also Thesaurus:goal
• (lens of an optical device): objective lens

• IPA^(key): /ɔb.ʒɛk.tiv/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophone: objectives

objective

1. feminine singular of objectif

objectīve

1. vocative masculine singular of objectīvus