subjective
sub-JEK-tiv
/səbˈdʒek.tɪv/
Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions rather than objective facts.
Refers to internal experience unique to the individual mind, which cannot be directly verified by an outside observer.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'subjectus', combining 'sub-' (under) and 'jacere' (to throw). Medieval thinkers used it to refer to underlying real substances, but Immanuel Kant popularized its modern meaning: that which belongs to the experiencing subject rather than the external object.
Word relationships
- personal: 'Personal' relates to an individual's private life, while 'subjective' emphasizes perspective shaped by internal mind states.
- objective: Based on impartial, external facts uninfluenced by personal feelings.
Commonly confused with
- arbitrary: Arbitrary means based on random choice; subjective means based on individual perspective and inner feeling.
Word family
- subjectivity (noun): The quality of being based on or influenced by personal feelings.
- subjectively (adverb): In a way that is based on personal opinions or feelings.
Collocations
- subjective experience
- purely subjective
- subjective opinion
- subjective evaluation
Example sentences
- "Beauty is inherently subjective, as different viewers bring unique life experiences to the artwork." Art Criticism
- "Pain is a subjective symptom, forcing doctors to rely on patient self-reporting during evaluation." Medical Assessment
Memory hook
SUB-jective: SUB-merged inside your own personal mind. Private view from inside the mind.
When not to use
Do not use when describing universally verifiable facts or scientific measurements.
Fun facts
- In grammar, a 'subject' is the doer of action; in philosophy, 'subjective' means the inner vantage point of that doer.
Related words
Explore more words
subjectivity, objectivity, subconscious, sentience, objective, empirical
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