objective | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

28 entries found.

1610s, originally in the philosophical sense of "considered in relation to its object" (opposite of subjective), formed on pattern of Medieval Latin objectivus, from objectum "object" (see object (n.)) + -ive. Meaning "impersonal, unbiased" is first found 1855, influenced by German objektiv. Related: Objectively.

objective (n.)

1738, "something objective to the mind," from objective (adj.). Meaning "goal, aim" (1881) is from military term objective point (1852), reflecting a sense evolution in French.

objectivism (n.)

1854 in philosophical sense, "the doctrine that knowledge is based on objective reality," from objective (adj.) + -ism.

objectivize (v.)

"to render objective, place before the mind as an object," 1850; see objective (adj.) + -ize. Related: Objectivized; objectivizing; objectivization (1875).

*ye-

*yē-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to throw, impel."

It forms all or part of: abject; abjection; adjacence; adjacent; adjective; aphetic; catheter; circumjacent; conjecture; deject; ease; ejaculate; eject; enema; gist; ictus; interjacent; inject; interject; interjection; jess; jet (v.1) "to sprout or spurt forth, shoot out;" jet (n.1) "stream of water;" jete; jetsam; jettison; jetton; jetty (n.) "pier;" joist; jut; object; objection; objective; paresis; project; projectile; reject; rejection; subjacent; subject; subjective; trajectory.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Hittite ijami "I make;" Latin iacere "to throw, cast."

expendable (adj.)

1805, "that can be consumed by use," from expend + -able. By 1942 in the military sense, especially of men, "that may be sacrificed to attain an objective."

whom (pron.)

objective case of who, Old English hwam (Proto-Germanic *hwam), dative form of hwa (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns). Ungrammatical use of who form whom is attested from c. 1300.

postmodernism (n.)

also post-modernism, by 1977, from post- + modernism. Defined by Terry Eagleton as "the contemporary movement of thought which rejects ... the possibility of objective knowledge" and is therefore "skeptical of truth, unity, and progress" ["After Theory," 2003]. Related: post-modernist (1965).

incurious (adj.)

1560s, "negligent, heedless," from Latin incuriosus "careless, negligent, unconcerned," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + curiosus (see curious). Meaning "uninquisitive" is from 1610s. Objective sense of "unworthy of attention" is from 1747. Related: Incuriously. Incuriosity is attested from c. 1600.

herself (pron.)

emphatic or reflexive form of third person feminine pronoun, Old English hire self; see her (objective case) + self. Originally dative, but since 14c. often treated as genitive, hence her own sweet self, etc. Also compare himself.

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