objective

adj

1. Of or relating to a material object, actual existence or reality.
2. Not influenced by the strong emotions or prejudices.
3. Based on observed facts; without purely 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.”

   “The value of pedagogical material informed by objective methodological procedures developed in corpus linguistics is widely recognized.”

4. Of, or relating to a noun or pronoun used as the object of a verb.

   “Let us now glance at the demonstrative and relative pronouns. Of the former there are but two in English, this and that, with their plural forms, these and those. To them, American adds a third, them, which is also the personal pronoun of the third person, objective case.”

5. 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.”

noun

1. A material object that physically exists.
2. A goal that is striven for.

   “His [Henry Sweet's] true objective was the provision of a full, accurate, legible script for our noble but ill-dressed language; but he was led past that by his contempt for the popular Pitman system of Shorthand, which he called the Pitfall system.”

   “In 1903, I had adventured, for the first time, northwards, and it really was the North, as my objective was the Great North of Scotland Railway.”

   “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.”

   “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.”

   “The new imperative for investment is the Government's objective to secure carbon-neutral transport emissions by 2040.”

3. The objective case.
4. 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.