object

[ noun ob-jikt, -jekt; verb uhb-jekt ]
See synonyms for object on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.

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

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

  2. 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.

  3. anything that may be apprehended intellectually: objects of thought.

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

  5. Grammar. (in many languages, such as English) a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that represents either the goal of the action of a verb or the goal of a preposition in a prepositional phrase: for example, ball in John hit the ball, or Venice in He came to Venice, or coin and her in He gave her a coin.: Compare direct object, indirect object.

  6. 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.

  7. Metaphysics. something toward which a cognitive act is directed.

verb (used without object)
  1. to offer a reason or argument in opposition.

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

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

verb (used with object)
  1. 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.

  2. Archaic. to bring forward or cite in opposition.

Origin of object

1
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 “thrown toward,” past participle of obicere, objicere “to throw toward” (see ob-, jet1 ); verb from Middle French obje(c)ter, from Latin objectāre “to throw or put before, oppose,” frequentative of obicere, objicere, as above

synonym study For object

3. See aim.

Other words for object

Other words from object

  • ob·jec·tor, noun
  • o·ver·ob·ject, verb
  • re·ob·ject, verb (used with object)
  • un·ob·ject·ed, adjective

Words that may be confused with object

Words Nearby object

Other definitions for object. (2 of 2)

object.

abbreviation
  1. objection.

  2. objective.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use object in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for object (1 of 2)

object1

/ (ˈɒbdʒɪkt) /


noun
  1. a tangible and visible thing

  2. a person or thing seen as a focus or target for feelings, thought, etc: an object of affection

  1. an aim, purpose, or objective

  2. informal a ridiculous or pitiable person, spectacle, etc

  3. 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

  4. grammar a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase whose referent is the recipient of the action of a verb: See also direct object, indirect object

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

  6. no object not a hindrance or obstacle: money is no object

  7. computing a self-contained identifiable component of a software system or design: object-oriented programming

Origin of object

1
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
  1. (tr; takes a clause as object) to state as an objection: he objected that his motives had been good

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

Origin of object

2
C15: from Latin obicere, from ob- against + jacere to throw

Derived forms of object

  • objector, noun

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.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with object

object

see money is no object.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.