objectivity

[ ob-jik-tiv-i-tee, -jek- ]

noun

1. the state or quality of being objective:

   He tries to maintain objectivity in his judgment.

2. intentness on objects external to the mind.
3. external reality.

Word History and Origins

Origin of objectivity¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; objective + -ity

Example Sentences

They did all this in neutral editorial voices, clearly meant to promote the appearance of objectivity; they showed their work to make clear that their judgments weren’t just matters of opinion.

From Slate

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos and others have speculated that one way to regain the trust of skeptical conservatives and combat their charges of mainstream-media bias is for journalistic outlets to work even harder to promote the appearance of objectivity.

From Slate

But if the appearance of extreme objectivity is all that it takes to bridge the journalism trust gap and appease the Trumpist right, then why haven’t the various stand-alone fact-checking platforms already unlocked this achievement?

From Slate

Reporters laboring under a mandate of objectivity can sometimes feel pressured to pretend that America’s two main political parties share a baseline legitimacy.

From Slate

Pointing out these true things does not count as media bias—and, conversely, pretending that the Trumpist right is normal does not count as objectivity.

From Slate

Related Words

• detachment
• equality
• neutrality