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objective Definition

ob·jec·tive (əb jek′tiv, äb-)

adjective

  1. of or having to do with a known or perceived object as distinguished from something existing only in the mind of the subject, or person thinking
  2. being, or regarded as being, independent of the mind; real; actual
  3. determined by and emphasizing the features and characteristics of the object, or thing dealt with, rather than the thoughts and feelings of the artist, writer, or speaker an objective painting or description
  4. without bias or prejudice; detached
  5. being the aim or goal an objective point
  6. ☆ designating a kind of test, as a multiple-choice or true-false test, that minimizes subjective factors in answering and grading
  7. Gram. designating or of the case of an object of a transitive verb or preposition
  8. Med. designating or of a symptom or condition perceptible to others besides the patient

Etymology: ML objectivus

noun

  1. anything external to or independent of the mind; something objective; reality
  2. something aimed at or striven for
  3. Gram.
    1. the objective case
    2. a word in this case
  4. Optics the lens or lenses nearest to the object observed, as in a microscope or telescope, that serve to focus light to form the image of the object

objective Related Forms
ob·jec′·tively adverb ob·jec′·tive·ness noun
objective Synonyms

objective

modif.

  1. Existing independently of the mind

    actual, external, material, scientific, sure, extrinsic, nonsubjective, measurable, extraneous, unintrospective, reified, tactile, corporeal, bodily, palpable, physical, phenomenal, sensible, outward, outside, determinable, eliminating the human equation, unchangeable, invariable; see also real 2.

    Antonyms mental*, subjective*, introspective. *

  2. Free from personal bias

    fair, detached, impersonal, unbiased; see accurate 2, fair 1. See syn. study at fair.

objective Synonyms

objective

n.

goal, aim, intention, aspiration; see purpose 1. See syn. study at intention.

objective Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • achieve: The key elements of the project to help achieve these objectives comprise of: ?
  • meet: Hence " managing " the traffic coming through will not succeed in meeting these objectives.
  • learn: These plans list the specific learning objectives for each lesson.
  • agree: Member States have agreed common objectives in the area of Youth Policy, which are currently being implemented.
  • fulfill: This has placed pressure on institutions to increase postgraduate numbers to fulfill funding objectives.
  • pursue: Even if the commission were required simply to pursue the objective, it could only aim to do that on each occasion.

Preposition: on

  • completion: Objectives On completion of the course, trainees will have an understanding of: - Causes and prevention of fire.

Adjective modifier

  • strategic: Our new private sector renewal strategy sets out our strategic objectives for the future, with detailed action plans to support our existing activity.
  • stated: The funds of the Society shall be applied solely to the stated objectives of the Society.
  • overriding: In doing so he or she gives effect to the overriding objectives contained in Part 1.
  • primary: Search our Site: sitemap 1. OBJECTIVES The primary objective is to achieve Best Practice in long term interoperability between IT systems.
  • main: A main objective will be to resolve problems within the workplace rather than parties having to go through the tribunal system.
  • overall: The overall objective is to develop the Cost Calculator to incorporate unit costs for all services that children receive within specific time frames.

Modifies a noun

  • lens: Magnification levels for the various objective lenses are shown in the table.
  • criterion: The prioritization matrix - judging the tasks against objective criteria and visualizing the process.
  • reality: Ray Billington, despite his stance vis-à-vis God as an objective reality, offers an optimistic glimpse of the future of religion.
  • truth: Good works of art possess or reflect both objective truth and beauty.

Noun used with modifier

  • licensing: The steps which will be taken to promote the four licensing objectives are vitally important.
  • conservation: In 1997 he established a charitable trust to fund self-help projects in rural Zambia, many of which have conservation objectives.
  • sustainability: Further, our Sustainability Strategy energy objective 2 details the desirability of renewable energy.
objective Quotes

We tend to justify our actions and in a sense we color history to achieve that objective.

—McNamara, Robert Strange

A jazz performance centers upon the process of creation. The final objective is not only the finished product, but the path and process taken towards it.

—Liebman, David

We'd gained our first objective hours before While dawn broke like a face with blinking eyes, Pallid, unshaved and thirsty, blind with smoke.

—Sassoon, Siegfried Louvain

The social scientist is in a difficult, if not impossible position.On the one hand there is the temptation to see all of societyas one's autobiography writ large, surely not the path to general truth.On the other hand, there is the attempt to be general and objective by pretending that one knows nothing about the experience of being human, forcing the investigator to pretend that people usually know and tell the truth about important issues, when we all know from our own lives how impossible that is.

—Lewontin, Richard Charles

The only way of expressing emotion in the form of art is by finding an'objective correlative'†such that when the external facts, which must terminate in sensory experience, are given, the emotion is immediately evoked.

—Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

The Soviets sought not a place in the sun, but the sun itself. Their objective was the world. They would not tolerate compromise on goals, only on tactics.

—Dulles,John Foster

Science, at bottom, is really anti-intellectual. It always distrusts pure reason, and demands the production of objective fact.

—Mencken, H(enry) L(ouis)

It isusual tospeakof the Fascist objective asthe'beehive state', which does a grave injustice to bees. A world of rabbits ruled by stoats would be nearer the mark.

—Orwell, George pseudonym of  Eric Arthur Blair