1. adj. having verifiable existence in the external world, independently of any opinion or judgment.

2. adj. impartial or uninfluenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudices. Compare subjective.

3. n. something that is to be obtained or worked toward. See aim; goal.

4. n. in linguistics, see accusative.

5. n. the lens or lens system in an optical instrument, such as a microscope. Also called object glass; objective lens; object lens.