as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
the summer camp's stated objective is to produce tournament-level tennis players
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Recent Examples of objectives
As this Premier League campaign has perhaps demonstrated more than most others, Villa do not need to be implacable to achieve their objectives.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Throughout the conflict, objectives have been poorly defined and inconsistently communicated.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
In fact, the administration originally put forward shifting narratives about the war’s objectives, including regime change and concern about the safety of Iranian protestors.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Iran’s political leadership has been at pains to dispel reports of infighting and to project a unified approach to the country’s military objectives and negotiating strategy.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
And the president's objectives and red lines have been very clear.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
The second is that Trump, as strategist-in-chief, keeps giving his negotiators objectives so implausible, confused or contradictory that even the wiliest diplomats in history — a Klemens von Metternich in the 19th century, say, or a Henry Kissinger in the 20th — would come up empty.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
Under medium- and long-term objectives, the country intends to build its nuclear power industry by 2030, according to the State Council Information Office.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026
The civil society organization’s latest report examined whether reintroducing combustion into the EU ETS—a key policy mechanism for achieving the EU’s climate objectives—would cause a resurgence in landfill use across the continent.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2026
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Throughout the conflict, objectives have been poorly defined and inconsistently communicated.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
In fact, the administration originally put forward shifting narratives about the war’s objectives, including regime change and concern about the safety of Iranian protestors.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Iran’s political leadership has been at pains to dispel reports of infighting and to project a unified approach to the country’s military objectives and negotiating strategy.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
And the president's objectives and red lines have been very clear.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
The second is that Trump, as strategist-in-chief, keeps giving his negotiators objectives so implausible, confused or contradictory that even the wiliest diplomats in history — a Klemens von Metternich in the 19th century, say, or a Henry Kissinger in the 20th — would come up empty.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
Under medium- and long-term objectives, the country intends to build its nuclear power industry by 2030, according to the State Council Information Office.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026
The civil society organization’s latest report examined whether reintroducing combustion into the EU ETS—a key policy mechanism for achieving the EU’s climate objectives—would cause a resurgence in landfill use across the continent.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for objectives
Noun
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Senior forward Jordyn Washington, who also scored Tuesday, has a team-best 17 goals.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Beachy is worried that basic research could take a back seat to short-term goals as defined by the White House.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Here, sheep can’t solve crimes until human incompetence forces them to step into the breach; though pushed for the purposes of fantasy, the limits of animal intelligence are a poignant factor in the tale.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional veterinary advice.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Shopify has begun allowing merchants to accept USDC payments, and Western Union just announced plans to offer a stablecoin on the Solana blockchain.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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The attorney said Bjornstad had once hoped to pilot the app with Oregon State, but the ongoing situation has complicated those plans.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One of the association’s key aims is to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas, business strategies, and improvements.—
Marlen Bartsch,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
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Trump’s first term was marked—and, in the view of those closest to him, limited—by its dependence on Administration officials who were, at best, skeptical of his aims.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Such incongruence between actions and intentions can also bring about feelings of guilt.—
Becca Stanek,
TheWeek,
24 Apr. 2026
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Closer to home, Jolly does not hide his intentions for Florida.—
Thomas C. Shank,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Tens of thousands of layoffs at Meta over the last four years as the company balances its AI ambitions with investor unease.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
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The funding, SpaceNews wrote, speaks to China’s broader space ambitions and strategy of injecting state capital into private industry.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican but not a DeSantis ally, spiked both ideas.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Infantino’s ideas and antics have frequently drawn resistance from some European federations and even the continent’s confederation, UEFA.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For all intents and purposes, Russini’s career is over.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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For all intents and purposes, the story ends in 1984.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Objectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/objectives. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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