objective

Etymology

Borrowed from French objectif, from Latin objectivus.

adj

1. Of or relating to a material object, actual existence or reality.
2. Not influenced by the emotions or prejudices.
3. Based on observed facts; without subjective assessment.
   Engagement of employees in the Public Administration and in the wider Public Sector, ..., shall take place either by competitive entry examination or by selection on the basis of predefined and objective criteria, and shall be subject to the control of an independent authority, as specified by law. 1975, Constitution of Greece
   The value of pedagogical material informed by objective methodological procedures developed in corpus linguistics is widely recognized. 2018, Clarence Green, James Lambert, “Advancing disciplinary literacy through English for academic purposes: Discipline-specific wordlists, collocations and word families for eight secondary subjects”, in Journal of English for Academic Purposes, volume 35, →DOI, page 106
4. (grammar) Of, or relating to a noun or pronoun used as the object of a verb.
5. (linguistics, grammar) Of, or relating to verbal conjugation that indicates the object (patient) of an action. (In linguistic descriptions of Tundra Nenets, among others.)
   The general finite stem is the verbal stem which serves as the basis of inflection in the indicative present and past in the subjective conjugation and the objective conjugation with the singular and dual object. 2014, Irina Nikolaeva, A Grammar of Tundra Nenets, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter

noun

1. A material object that physically exists.
2. A goal that is striven for.
   The Group has recently concentrated on two main objectives, the implementation of a Code of Practice on minor station improvements and the preparation of a stock list of approved items of equipment for railway stations. 1962 October, Brian Haresnape, “Focus on B.R. passenger stations”, in Modern Railways, page 252
   Objectives are the stepping stones which guide you to achieving your goals. They must be verifiable in some way, whether thatʼs statistically – ‘the more I do this, the better I get at itʼ – or by some other achievable concept such as getting the job or relationship that you want. Itʼs crucial that your objectives lead you logically towards your goal and are quantifiable. 2012, Christine Wilding, chapter 2, in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Croydon, UK: CPI Group (UK) Ltd, page 15
   The new imperative for investment is the Government's objective to secure carbon-neutral transport emissions by 2040. December 2 2020, Industry Insider, “The costs of cutting carbon”, in Rail, page 76
3. (grammar) The objective case.
4. (grammar) a noun or pronoun in the objective case.
5. The lens or lenses of a camera, microscope, or other optical device closest to the object being examined.