objective
B2Formal, Academic, Business
Definition
Meaning
A specific, measurable goal or target; something aimed for.
1. A goal or aim (noun). 2. Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; impartial, factual (adjective). 3. (In grammar) Relating to the object of a verb or preposition.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The noun and adjective senses are closely linked: an 'objective' (noun) is ideally determined by an 'objective' (adjective) analysis of facts. This creates a semantic network of impartiality, goals, and factual reasoning.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. Minor differences exist in collocational frequency (e.g., 'job objective' slightly more common in US CVs vs. 'career objective' in UK).
Connotations
No significant difference in connotation.
Frequency
High frequency in both varieties across professional and academic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to have/meet/achieve an objective (to VERB)to set/define an objective (of VERB-ing)to be objective (about/in + NOUN/VERB-ing)to remain/stay objectiveVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “take an objective view”
- “with the objective of”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for strategic planning and performance metrics, e.g., 'Our Q4 objective is to increase market share by 5%.'
Academic
Describes impartial research methodology and learning outcomes, e.g., 'The study maintained an objective stance throughout.'
Everyday
Often used to discuss personal goals or fairness, e.g., 'Try to be objective when you review his work.'
Technical
In grammar: 'objective case' (e.g., him, her, them). In military: 'a tactical objective'. In optics: 'the objective lens'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adverb
British English
- The situation must be assessed objectively.
- He spoke objectively about the company's strengths and weaknesses.
American English
- Try to look at the problem objectively.
- The study was conducted objectively.
adjective
British English
- The journalist strove to give an objective account of the debate.
- It's hard to remain objective when your friends are involved.
American English
- We need an objective third party to mediate the dispute.
- The report provides objective data on climate trends.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Our objective today is to learn ten new words.
- The teacher tries to be objective when marking tests.
- The main objective of the project is to help the local community.
- A good judge must always be objective.
- We failed to meet our sales objective for the third quarter.
- It is crucial for researchers to maintain an objective viewpoint.
- The strategic objective was to destabilise the opponent's supply lines without direct confrontation.
- Her analysis was commendably objective, eschewing the sentimentality that plagued earlier commentaries.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an OBJECTive as the OBJECT you are trying to hit or achieve. An OBJECTive person treats facts like OBJECTS – external things to be examined, not personal feelings.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOALS ARE DESTINATIONS/TARGETS (e.g., 'set your sights on the objective'), IMPARTIALITY IS STRAIGHTNESS/DETACHMENT (e.g., 'a straight, objective look').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'объективный' when it means 'inevitable/universal' (e.g., 'объективный закон'). In English, this is 'inevitable/universal law'. English 'objective' primarily means 'unbiased' or 'a goal'.
- The Russian word 'цель' maps closely to 'objective' (noun), but 'objective' in English can sound more formal and specific than 'цель'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'target' and 'objective' as exact synonyms in formal writing (a 'target' is often more specific/quantified).
- Using 'objectively' as a mere intensifier incorrectly (e.g., 'That was objectively delicious' is often stylistically questionable).
- Confusing 'objective' (adj) with 'subjective'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'objective' used in a primarily grammatical sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Objective' refers to facts, evidence, and impartiality, independent of personal feelings. 'Subjective' refers to personal opinions, interpretations, and feelings.
No, 'objective' is not used as a standard verb in modern English. The related verb is 'to object' (which means to express disapproval) or 'to target'/'to aim' for the goal sense.
Not always, but it is very common to have multiple 'objectives' under one main 'goal' or 'aim'. A single, overarching goal can also be called 'the objective'.
Stress the second syllable: ob-JEC-tive. The 'j' sound is like in 'jump'. The final 'ive' sounds like 'iv' (as in 'give').
Collections
Part of a collection
Workplace Vocabulary
B1 · 48 words · Professional language for the working environment.
Debate Vocabulary
B2 · 48 words · Language for constructing arguments and discussions.
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