objectionable
Americanadjective
-
causing or tending to cause an objection, disapproval, or protest.
-
offending good taste, manners, etiquette, propriety, etc.; offensive.
objectionable behavior.
- Synonyms:
- odious, vile, offensive, unacceptable
adjective
Other Word Forms
- objectionability noun
- objectionableness noun
- objectionably adverb
- superobjectionable adjective
- superobjectionably adverb
- unobjectionable adjective
Etymology
Origin of objectionable
Explanation
Objectionable things are unwelcome or disliked. Your objectionable roommate might leave his dirty dishes everywhere, watch TV with the volume turned all the way up, and keep bringing home stray kittens. If you've got a problem with someone's behavior, you can describe it as objectionable. Things like hate speech, bad jokes, and terrible music are all objectionable — obnoxious or even deplorable. In other words, you object to these things. The Latin root of object and objectionable is obiectare, "to oppose" or "to set against," literally meaning "to throw or put against."
Vocabulary lists containing objectionable
Charlotte's Web
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Hitler Youth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They must obey laws, but beyond that, social media companies can filter content as they like, and anything objectionable is the responsibility of whomever posted it.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
Bhamre's complaint, registered on 18 December, accuses Patil of publishing "objectionable content" against a top BJP leader on Facebook.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
Still, who gets to decide what’s vibrant and what’s objectionable?
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025
Vance encouraged listeners to “call their employer” and rat out colleagues who express objectionable comments about Kirk’s killing.
From Salon • Sep. 17, 2025
If that doesn’t kill your enthusiasm for becoming a sumpweed farmer, be aware that it has a strong odor objectionable to some people and that handling it can cause skin irritation.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
