as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
the summer camp's stated objective is to produce tournament-level tennis players
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of objectives
Coupled with a significant degradation of Iranian military power, something already underway, these objectives would constitute an acceptable end to the war.
—
Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2026
The talks come as thousands of additional Marines arrive in the region despite officials insisting that objectives can be achieved without launching a ground war.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
China integrates intellectual property objectives into its national AI plans, pairing patent development with enforcement capacity.
—Laura Peter, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Now that this replay fantasy has collided with a more complex, indeterminate and difficult reality, Trump is unable to explain his objectives or even give the country a sense of when the war might end.
—Jamelle Bouie, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
Yet these are distinct objectives that are often conflated.
—Scott Solomon, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Meeting those objectives will be critical if Schwimmer is to satisfy Elliott and other investors in an increasingly testing stock market.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
There is significant support for at least one of the president’s objectives, which is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
—Linley Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Back home, the president says that most of his objectives have been fulfilled in the conflict.
—CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2026
The talks come as thousands of additional Marines arrive in the region despite officials insisting that objectives can be achieved without launching a ground war.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
China integrates intellectual property objectives into its national AI plans, pairing patent development with enforcement capacity.
—Laura Peter, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Now that this replay fantasy has collided with a more complex, indeterminate and difficult reality, Trump is unable to explain his objectives or even give the country a sense of when the war might end.
—Jamelle Bouie, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
Yet these are distinct objectives that are often conflated.
—Scott Solomon, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Meeting those objectives will be critical if Schwimmer is to satisfy Elliott and other investors in an increasingly testing stock market.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
There is significant support for at least one of the president’s objectives, which is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
—Linley Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Back home, the president says that most of his objectives have been fulfilled in the conflict.
—CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for objectives
Noun
-
Capricorn December 22 – January 19 By afternoon, your focus sharpens on goals.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
December 22 – January 19 By afternoon, your focus sharpens on goals.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Trump has not only stolen top-secret government files, apparently for business purposes but used his office to harass and investigate his political targets.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, the mission will test flight controllers and procedures needed to safely send astronauts back to the moon for long-duration stays as NASA makes plans for a future moon base.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
How does the new Coral Gables board game fit into the chamber’s plans?—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
October 23 – November 21 Group efforts benefit from clear, shared aims.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that his military's aims in Iran are beyond halfway complete, but that Israel is widening its invasion of Lebanon.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Soderbergh extracts some fun from the ensuing cat-and-mouse logistics, from Lori’s meticulous duplication of the Christophers to Julian’s efforts to bluff her into admitting her true intentions.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
As the Waltons have become more and more involved in the city’s development, some have started to express harsh skepticism about their intentions.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Boosting China’s bold space ambitions The team, from the Institute of Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also highlighted their material’s potential for aerospace applications during a pivotal moment in spaceflight history.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Fast-forward to the present, and the biennial format has spread across the planet as part of a global culture industry driven as much by tourism and city branding as by artistic ambitions.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Consider enrolling in a class or talking about philosophical ideas with your peers, because such bold curiosity presently translates into mental growth.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
If the figures of Rosie the Riveter, Lillian Gilbreth, and Jane Fonda helped to establish ideas of twentieth-century smartness, then PAT, a glitchy computerized mother figure, carries us into the present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That’s a pretty wide, public airing of grievances against a locker room that is, for all intents and purposes, winning.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
For all intents and purposes, the playoffs have begun.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Objectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/objectives. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
