I. əb-ˈjek-tiv, äb- adjective
Date: 1647
1.
a. : relating to or existing as an object of thought without consideration of independent existence — used chiefly in medieval philosophy
b. : of, relating to, or being an object, phenomenon, or condition in the realm of sensible experience independent of individual thought and perceptible by all observers : having reality independent of the mind
objective reality
our reveries…are significantly and repeatedly shaped by our transactions with the objective world — Marvin Reznikoff
— compare subjective 3a
c. of a symptom of disease : perceptible to persons other than the affected individual — compare subjective 4c
d. : involving or deriving from sense perception or experience with actual objects, conditions, or phenomena
objective awareness
objective data
2. : relating to, characteristic of, or constituting the case of words that follow prepositions or transitive verbs
3.
a. : expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations
objective art
an objective history of the war
an objective judgment
b. of a test : limited to choices of fixed alternatives and reducing subjective factors to a minimum
Synonyms: see material , fair
• ob·jec·tive·ly adverb
• ob·jec·tive·ness noun
• ob·jec·tiv·i·ty ˌäb-ˌjek-ˈti-və-tē, əb- noun
II. noun
Date: 1835
1. : a lens or system of lenses that forms an image of an object
2.
a. : something toward which effort is directed : an aim, goal, or end of action
b. : a strategic position to be attained or a purpose to be achieved by a military operation
Synonyms: see intention