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

Appeal to logic and emotion. Build a foundation of objectivity and facts that stakeholders can comprehend, but don’t underestimate the emotional components of change. —Camille Nicita, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Feminist philosophers, like Martha Nussbaum and Annette Baier, offer an explanation for our refusal to relinquish it: The claim to objectivity offers us the dream of invulnerability. —Sigal Samuel, Vox, 3 Dec. 2024

Immune to fear and favor, AI introduces a new possibility of objectivity in strategic decision-making. —Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024

But that objectivity, harnessed by both the warfighter and the peacemaker, should preserve human subjectivity, which is essential for the responsible exercise of force. —Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

objective entry 1 + -ity

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above