Looking up...
objective
/əbˈdʒɛktɪv/ /ɒbˈdʒɛktɪv/
goal or purpose
The company's main objective is to increase market share.
The primary goal of the company is to grow its share of the market.
formal
A thing aimed at or sought; a goal.
The team set clear objectives for the project.
The team defined specific goals for the project.
Her objective was to finish the marathon in under four hours.
Her aim was to complete the marathon in less than four hours.
Often used in business, project management, and formal planning contexts.
formal
Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; unbiased.
Journalists must remain objective when reporting news.
Journalists should report news without letting personal biases affect their work.
The judge's objective assessment of the evidence was crucial.
The judge's fair and unbiased evaluation of the evidence was essential.
Common in academic, legal, and professional settings.
Collocations
achieve an objectiveto successfully reach a goalset objectivesto define goalsclear objectivea well-defined goalprimary objectivethe main goalobjective assessmentan unbiased evaluation
Pro Tip
Distinguish 'objective' (noun) vs. 'objective' (adjective)
As a noun, 'objective' refers to a goal (e.g., 'Our objective is to launch by Q3'). As an adjective, it means unbiased (e.g., 'She gave an objective analysis of the data').
Gold Rule
Use 'objective' for goals in formal contexts
In business or project planning, 'objective' is preferred over 'goal' for structured, measurable targets (e.g., 'SMART objectives').
Avoid 'objective' as a synonym for 'opinion'
Do not use 'objective' to mean 'opinion' (e.g., 'My objective is that we should...'). Use 'opinion' or 'view' instead.
Word Origin
From Latin *obiectivus* (something that can be thrown in the way), from *obiectum* (past participle of *obicere* 'to throw in the way'), from *ob-* 'in the way' + *iacere* 'to throw'. The sense 'goal' emerged in the 17th century, while 'unbiased' developed in the 19th century.
Usage Notes
As a noun, 'objective' is countable (e.g., 'an objective'). As an adjective, it describes something that is not influenced by personal feelings (e.g., 'an objective report'). Avoid confusing with 'subjective' (based on personal feelings).
Word Breakdown
object-
from Latin *obiectum*, meaning 'thrown against' or 'in the way'
root-ive
suffix forming adjectives/nouns, here indicating 'relating to'
suffixEnglish Dictionary