object

[ noun ob-jikt, -jekt; verb uhb-jekt ]

/ noun ˈɒb dʒɪkt, -dʒɛkt; verb əbˈdʒɛkt /

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noun

anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.

a thing, person, or matter to which thought or action is directed: an object of medical investigation.

the end toward which effort or action is directed; goal; purpose: Profit is the object of business.

a person or thing with reference to the impression made on the mind or the feeling or emotion elicited in an observer: an object of curiosity and pity.

anything that may be apprehended intellectually: objects of thought.

Optics. the thing of which a lens or mirror forms an image.

Grammar. (in many languages, as English) a noun, noun phrase, or noun substitute representing by its syntactical position either the goal of the action of a verb or the goal of a preposition in a prepositional phrase, as ball in John hit the ball, Venice in He came to Venice, coin and her in He gave her a coin.Compare direct object, indirect object.

Digital Technology.

any item that can be individually selected or manipulated, as a picture, data file, or piece of text.
in object-oriented programming, a self-contained entity that consists of both data and operations to manipulate the data.

Metaphysics. something toward which a cognitive act is directed.

verb (used without object)

to offer a reason or argument in opposition.

to express or feel disapproval, dislike, or distaste; be averse.

to refuse or attempt to refuse to permit some action, speech, etc.

verb (used with object)

to state, claim, or cite in opposition; put forward in objection, disagreement, or disapproval: Some people objected that the proposed import duty would harm world trade.

Archaic. to bring forward or adduce in opposition.

OTHER WORDS FOR object

3 objective, target, aim, intent, intention, motive.

See synonyms for object on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of object

First recorded in 1325–75; (noun) Middle English: “something perceived, purpose, objection,” from Medieval Latin objectum “something thrown down or presented (to the mind),” noun use of neuter of Latin objectus (past participle of objicere ), equivalent to ob- ob- + jec- (combining form of jacere “to throw”; see jet¹) + -tus past participle suffix; (verb) Middle English objecten “to argue against,” from Middle French obje(c)ter, from Latin objectāre “to throw or put before, oppose”

synonym study for object

3. See aim.

OTHER WORDS FROM object

ob·jec·tor, nouno·ver·ob·ject, verbre·ob·ject, verb (used with object)un·ob·ject·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH object

abject, object

Words nearby object

obiit, obit, obiter dictum, obituary, obj., object, object ball, object code, object complement, object distance, object glass

Other definitions for object (2 of 2)

object.

abbreviation

objection.

objective.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use object in a sentence

Physicists don’t usually deal with objects of different sizes at the same time.
How Mathematical ‘Hocus-Pocus’ Saved Particle Physics|Charlie Wood|September 17, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Powerful gusts not only blow objects around, they also churn up massive waves called storm surges.
Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 17, 2020|Science News For Students
When you only look at things close-up, your eyes don’t get practice focusing on distant objects.
Healthy screen time is one challenge of distance learning|Kathryn Hulick|September 11, 2020|Science News For Students
GPT-3’s word embeddings are not perceptually grounded in the world, which explains why it often struggles to consistently answer common-sense questions about visual and physical features of familiar objects.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Raphaël Millière|September 9, 2020|Nautilus

It’s not yet clear what this object is and what its purpose might be.
China says it has launched and landed a reusable spacecraft|Neel Patel|September 8, 2020|MIT Technology Review
But by far the most interesting object, which held enormous fascination for me, sat high up on the top shelf.
My Love Letter to the Stetson|Mark McKinnon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And who better to do that with than the actress who is playing the object of said (alleged) lesbian affection in the flick?
Inside the Lifetime Whitney Houston Movie’s Lesbian Lover Storyline|Kevin Fallon|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If they run off with somebody else, we say they were stolen—as if they are an object or a commodity.
Owning Up to Possession’s Downside|Samantha Harvey|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He can barely speak the titles, but manages to let Viridiana and That Obscure Object of Desire pass from his lips.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The show, Bell Hooks argued in Black Looks: Race and Representation, “represents wom[e]n as the object of a phallocentric gaze.”
Science-Fiction TV Finds a New Muse: Feminism|David Levesley|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The thought seemed to produce the dreaded object, for next moment a large hummock appeared right ahead.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Naturally the conversation fell on the all-absorbing topic of the day and the object of his mission.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
To make the effort of articulation a vital impulse in response to a mental concept,—this is the object sought.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The object of this practise is to attain facility in manipulating the elements while maintaining the smooth quality of the tone.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Every time he is dressed, or sees his mother dress, he has an object-lesson in symmetrical arrangement.
Children's Ways|James Sully

British Dictionary definitions for object (1 of 2)

object¹

/ (ˈɒbdʒɪkt) /

noun

a tangible and visible thing

a person or thing seen as a focus or target for feelings, thought, etcan object of affection

an aim, purpose, or objective

informal a ridiculous or pitiable person, spectacle, etc

philosophy that towards which cognition is directed, as contrasted with the thinking subject; anything regarded as external to the mind, esp in the external world

grammar a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase whose referent is the recipient of the action of a verbSee also direct object, indirect object

grammar a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that is governed by a preposition

no object not a hindrance or obstaclemoney is no object

computing a self-contained identifiable component of a software system or designobject-oriented programming

Word Origin for object

C14: from Late Latin objectus something thrown before (the mind), from Latin obicere; see object ²

British Dictionary definitions for object (2 of 2)

object²

/ (əbˈdʒɛkt) /

verb

(tr; takes a clause as object) to state as an objectionhe objected that his motives had been good

(intr often foll by to) to raise or state an objection (to); present an argument (against)

Derived forms of object

objector, noun

Word Origin for object

C15: from Latin obicere, from ob- against + jacere to throw

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for object

object

A part of a sentence; a noun, pronoun, or group of words that receives or is affected by the action of a verb. (See direct object, indirect object, and objective case.)

Other Idioms and Phrases with object

object

see money is no object.

object

OTHER WORDS FOR object

Origin of object

synonym study for object

OTHER WORDS FROM object

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH object

Words nearby object

Other definitions for object (2 of 2)

Words related to object

How to use object in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for object (1 of 2)

Word Origin for object

British Dictionary definitions for object (2 of 2)

Derived forms of object

Word Origin for object

Cultural definitions for object

Other Idioms and Phrases with object