\Ob*jec"tive\, a. [Cf.F. objectif.]
1. Of or pertaining to an object.
2. (Metaph.) Of or pertaining to an object; contained in, or
   having the nature or position of, an object; outward;
   external; extrinsic; -- an epithet applied to whatever ir
   exterior to the mind, or which is simply an object of
   thought or feeling, and opposed to {subjective}.
         In the Middle Ages, subject meant substance, and has
         this sense in Descartes and Spinoza: sometimes,
         also, in Reid. Subjective is used by William of
         Occam to denote that which exists independent of
         mind; objective, what is formed by the mind. This
         shows what is meant by realitas objectiva in
         Descartes. Kant and Fichte have inverted the
         meanings. Subject, with them, is the mind which
         knows; object, that which is known; subjective, the
         varying conditions of the knowing mind; objective,
         that which is in the constant nature of the thing
         known.                                --Trendelenburg.
         Objective means that which belongs to, or proceeds
         from, the object known, and not from the subject
         knowing, and thus denotes what is real, in
         opposition to that which is ideal -- what exists in
         nature, in contrast to what exists merely in the
         thought of the individual.            --Sir. W.
                                               Hamilton.
         Objective has come to mean that which has
         independent exostence or authority, apart from our
         experience or thought. Thus, moral law is said to
         have objective authority, that is, authority
         belonging to itself, and not drawn from anything in
         our nature.                           --Calderwood
                                               (Fleming's
                                               Vocabulary).
3. (Gram.) Pertaining to, or designating, the case which
   follows a transitive verb or a preposition, being that
   case in which the direct object of the verb is placed. See
   {Accusative}, n.
Note: The objective case is frequently used without a
      governing word, esp. in designations of time or space,
      where a preposition, as at, in, on, etc., may be
      supplied.
            My troublous dream [on] this night make me sad.
                                               --Shak.
            To write of victories [in or for] next year.
                                               --Hudibras.
{Objective line} (Perspective), a line drawn on the
   geometrical plane which is represented or sought to be
   represented.
{Objective plane} (Perspective), any plane in the horizontal
   plane that is represented.
{Objective point}, the point or result to which the
   operations of an army are directed. By extension, the
   point or purpose to which anything, as a journey or an
   argument, is directed.
Syn: {Objective}, {Subjective}.
Usage: Objective is applied to things exterior to the mind,
       and objects of its attention; subjective, to the
       operations of the mind itself. Hence, an objective
       motive is some outward thing awakening desire; a
       subjective motive is some internal feeling or
       propensity. Objective views are those governed by
       outward things; subjective views are produced or
       modified by internal feeling. Sir Walter Scott's
       poetry is chiefly objective; that of Wordsworth is
       eminently subjective.
             In the philosophy of mind, subjective denotes
             what is to be referred to the thinking subject,
             the ego; objective what belongs to the object of
             thought, the non-ego.             --Sir. W.
                                               Hamilton

\Ob*jec"tive\, n.
1. (Gram.) The objective case.
2. An object glass. See under {Object}, n.
3. Same as {Objective point}, under {Objective}, a.