Objective — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /əb-ˈjek-tiv/ ob·jec·tive

Meaning & Definition of Objective

Objective (adjective)

  1. expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations
  2. limited to choices of fixed alternatives and reducing subjective factors to a minimum
  3. existing outside of the mind, existing in the real world

Objective (noun)

  1. something toward which effort is directed, an aim, goal, or purpose
  2. a strategic position to be attained or a purpose to be achieved by a military operation
  3. a lens or system of lenses that forms an image of an object

Objective (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something that one hopes or intends to accomplish

    "the summer camp's stated objective is to produce tournament-level tennis players"

    similar: aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne, design, dream, end, goal, idea, ideal, intent, intention, mark, meaning, object, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, thing, name of the game
    related: grail, holy grail, plot, project, scheme, desire, hope, mind, wish, nirvana, destination, terminus
    near: means, method, way

Objective (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. based on observation or experience

    "an objective assessment based solely upon the results of the experiment"

    similar: empirical, existential, experiential, experimental, observational
    related: actual, factual, genuine, hard, material, real, accepted, established, tried, tried-and-true, indisputable, undeniable, demonstrable, provable, verifiable
    opposite: nonempirical, theoretical, unempirical
    near: conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, unproven, unsubstantiated, metaphysical, transcendentalist, visionary

  2. marked by justice, honesty, and freedom from bias

    "the judge removed herself from the case because she doubted her ability to remain objective, given her friendship with one of the attorneys"

    similar: candid, disinterested, dispassionate, equal, equitable, evenhanded, fair, impartial, indifferent, just, nonpartisan, square, unbiased, unprejudiced
    related: frank, forthright, open, straight, straightforward, balanced, rational, reasonable
    opposite: biased, ex parte, inequitable, nonobjective, one-sided, partial, parti pris, partisan, prejudiced, unjust
    near: deceitful, deceptive, dishonest, arbitrary, unconscionable, unreasonable, jaundiced, unfriendly, unsympathetic, colored, distorted, warped

  3. restricted to or based on fact

    "the paper's news stories strive to be scrupulously objective, with opinions clearly labeled as commentary"

    similar: documentary, factual, hard, historical, literal, matter-of-fact, nonfictional, true
    related: actual, authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, right, documented, established, confirmable, reliable, supportable, sustainable, verifiable, demonstrable, provable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, irrefutable, undeniable, unquestionable, plain, simple, certain, undoubted
    opposite: fictional, fictionalized, fictitious, nondocumentary, nonfactual, nonhistorical, unhistorical
    near: hypothetical, speculative, theoretical, apocryphal, unauthentic, undocumented, chimerical, fabulous, fanciful, fantastic, imaginary, imagined, invented, legendary, made-up, make-believe, mythical, pretend, embroidered, exaggerated, insupportable, unsupportable

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Objective

The most common words with a similar meaning to Objective:

aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne, design, dream, end, goal, idea, ideal, intent, intention, mark, meaning, object, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, thing, name of the game, empirical, existential, experiential, experimental, observational, candid, disinterested, dispassionate, equal, equitable, evenhanded, fair, impartial, indifferent, just, nonpartisan, square, unbiased

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Objective

Words with the opposite meaning of Objective:

nonempirical, theoretical, unempirical, biased, ex parte, inequitable, nonobjective, one-sided, partial, parti pris, partisan, prejudiced, unjust, fictional, fictionalized, fictitious, nondocumentary, nonfactual, nonhistorical, unhistorical

Related Words for Objective

grail, holy grail, plot, project, scheme, desire, hope, mind, wish, nirvana, destination, terminus, actual, genuine, material, real, accepted, established, tried, tried-and-true, indisputable, undeniable, demonstrable, provable, verifiable, frank, forthright, open, straight, straightforward

Near Antonyms of Objective

means, method, way, conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, unproven, unsubstantiated, metaphysical, transcendentalist, visionary, deceitful, deceptive, dishonest, arbitrary, unconscionable, unreasonable, jaundiced, unfriendly, unsympathetic, colored, distorted, warped, apocryphal, unauthentic, undocumented, chimerical, fabulous, fanciful, fantastic

Word Forms of Objective

Derived words: objectiveness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Objective

borrowed from Medieval Latin objectīvus "considered in relation to its purpose, relating to an object of thought," from objectum "something presented to the mind, goal, aim" + Latin -īvus -ive object:1

First known use: 1645

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Objective

Words & Phrases Containing Objective

objective complement, objective correlative, objective lens

Frequently Asked Questions about Objective

What does "Objective" mean?

"Objective" means expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Objective"?

Other words for "Objective" include aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne, design, dream, end and goal. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Objective" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Objective"?

There are 98 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Objective". Common alternatives include aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne, design, dream, end, goal, idea and ideal.

What is the opposite of "Objective"?

Antonyms of "Objective" include nonempirical, theoretical, unempirical, biased, ex parte, inequitable, nonobjective and one-sided. Near antonyms include means, method, way and conjectural.

How do you use "Objective" in a sentence?

Examples of "Objective" in a sentence: "the summer camp's stated objective is to produce tournament-level tennis players"; "an objective assessment based solely upon the results of the experiment"; "the judge removed herself from the case because she doubted her ability to remain objective, given her friendship with one of the attorneys".

Is "Objective" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Objective" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Objective" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Objective" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Objective"?

"Objective" is pronounced /əb-ˈjek-tiv/ and divided into syllables as ob·jec·tive.