objectively

objectively — adverb

1. by sticking to facts that anyone could check, while keeping your own opinions, f

1.adverbC1
Definition

by sticking to facts that anyone could check, while keeping your own opinions, feelings, or loyalties out of the picture.

Example

As the children's mother, Priya found it hard to judge their drawings objectively.

verb + objectively (judge objectively)

The committee asked Dr. Tanaka to review the safety data objectively before signing off.

review/assess + objectively in formal contexts

Common collocations
  • judge objectively
  • assess objectively
  • look at something objectively
  • objectively speaking
  • objectively true
  • report objectively
Synonyms
  • impartially

    stresses fair treatment of all sides rather than reliance on facts

  • dispassionately

    highlights the absence of strong emotion, even more than 'objectively'

  • neutrally

    focuses on not taking sides; weaker on the 'based on facts' element

Antonyms
  • subjectively

    direct opposite — guided by personal feelings and viewpoint

  • emotionally

    letting feelings shape the judgement

Grammar Patterns

verb + objectively

objectively + adjective

Usage Note

Often pairs with verbs of judgement and observation (assess, judge, evaluate, look at, describe). The fronted form 'objectively speaking,' or 'looking at X objectively,' signals that the speaker is putting personal feelings aside before stating something that may sound harsh.

Common Mistakes

I objectively love this song.
I really love this song.
'objectively' is about removing personal feelings, so it clashes with verbs that express personal taste.
She answered the question objectively honest.
She answered the question honestly and objectively.
'objectively' modifies a verb or adjective on its own; don't stack it as an intensifier on another adverb.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four describe judging or describing something without letting personal bias take over, but they highlight different angles. 'Objectively' anchors the judgement in checkable facts — what the data, video, or numbers actually show. 'Impartially' is about treating every side fairly, common when a referee, judge, or arbitrator is involved. 'Dispassionately' stresses keeping strong feelings — anger, grief, excitement — out of the analysis, often after something upsetting. 'Neutrally' is the lightest of the four: it just means not taking sides, with no strong claim about facts or emotion. Compare: a journalist reports the story objectively (sticks to facts), a referee calls the match impartially (fair to both teams), a doctor delivers bad news dispassionately (without showing strong emotion), and a moderator reads the question neutrally (no leaning either way).

objectively ↗impartiallydispassionatelyneutrally

Common collocations

Phrases

  • objectively speaking
  • look at something objectively
  • judge objectively
  • assess objectively
  • objectively true
  • objectively measurable

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinFrenchEnglish

Built from the adjective 'objective' (first used in English in the 17th century) plus the adverb ending '-ly'. 'Objective' came through medieval Latin 'objectivus', from Latin 'obiectum' meaning 'something thrown in front of you' — the idea being a thing standing outside your mind that you can examine. Philosophers in the 1800s sharpened the modern sense of judging without letting personal feelings color the result, and 'objectively' followed the same path.