objectivity

noun

ob·​jec·​tiv·​i·​ty ˌäb-ˌjek-ˈti-və-tē 

əb-

: the quality or character of being objective : lack of favoritism toward one side or another : freedom from bias

Many people questioned the selection committee's objectivity.

It can be difficult for parents to maintain objectivity about their children's accomplishments.

Many critics disputed the objectivity and reliability of his field observations, foreshadowing current anthropological concerns about the ability of any fieldworker to rise above personal preconceptions and impartially describe another culture.

—Bruce Bower

In journalistic circles, there was a good deal of hand-wringing that the bonds forged between reporters and soldiers could threaten objectivity.

—Mark Jurkowitz

Synonyms

• detachment
• disinterest
• disinterestedness
• equity
• evenhandedness
• fair-mindedness
• fairness
• impartiality
• justice
• neutralism
• neutrality
• nonpartisanship
• objectiveness

Examples of objectivity in a Sentence

the teacher's objectivity would be seriously compromised if his own child were placed in the class

Recent Examples on the Web

First, avoid letting your friendship compromise fairness or objectivity. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Various outfits, positioning themselves as neutral guides to the marketplace of ideas, now tout evaluations of news organizations’ trustworthiness, but relying on these requires trusting in the quality and objectivity of the evaluation. —Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025

Look no further than Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos’ bloodless spiking of an editorial endorsing Kamala Harris in the name of greater objectivity. —J.t. Barbarese, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2025

There are good reasons to harbor doubts about these reports’ quality and objectivity. —Luis Cayetano Simmari, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

objective entry 1 + -ity

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above