objective

I. 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 • objectively adverb • objectiveness noun • objectivity 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