Meaning & use
objective measure
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A way of judging something using facts or numbers rather than personal opinions or feelings.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an objective measure' or 'objective measures'.
Patterns
- an objective measure of something
- use something as an objective measure
The number of hospital admissions is an objective measure of how serious the outbreak is.
Teachers need objective measures of student progress, not just their own impressions.
An objective measure like test scores can miss important skills.
Word forms
| plural | objective measures |
|---|
Common combinations
- an objective measure of
- The study used an objective measure of reading ability.
- objective measure of success
- Profit is not the only objective measure of success.
- rely on objective measures
- Good research relies on objective measures rather than anecdotes.
- objective measure of performance
- The company introduced objective measures of performance for all staff.
Synonyms and how they differ
- quantitative measure
- Focuses on numbers and amounts; 'objective measure' is broader and can include clear factual checks that are not numerical.
- impartial measure
- Emphasizes fairness and lack of bias; 'objective measure' emphasizes being based on facts rather than feelings.
Opposites
Word family
- objectively adverb
- In a way that is based on facts, not feelings.
- objectivity noun
- The quality of being based on facts and not influenced by personal feelings.
Commonly confused: objective measure or subjective measure?
objective measure vs subjective measure
'Subjective measure' relies on personal opinions or feelings, while 'objective measure' relies on facts or numbers.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'objective measure' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The computer-scored test is based on facts, not feelings, so it is an objective measure. Option A describes a feeling, which is subjective. Option C is about personal happiness, which is subjective. Option D involves personal memories, which are subjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “objective measure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.