n. 1
A thing that has physical existence but is not alive.
n. 2
Objective; goal, end or purpose of something.
n. 3
The noun phrase which is an internal complement of a verb phrase or a prepositional phrase. In a verb phrase with a transitive action verb, it is typically the receiver of the action.

Related words

Word family: objectification objectify objectionable objective objectlike objectant objection objector
Phrases: unidentified flying object art object function object first-class object second-class object third-class object object glass object lesson

Forms

Plural: objects → aims, targets, purposes, goals…

Choose the right word

Object, End, Aspiration or Purpose?

The end is the point at which one expects or hopes to close his labors; the object, that which he would grasp as the reward of his labors. Aspiration has less of decision than the other terms; one may aspire to an object, and yet lack the fixedness of purpose by which alone it can be attained.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

view The house is screened from view with a high fence.
purpose What is the main purpose of your studying English?
target He picked up the rifle and aimed it at the target.
objective You seem to have lost sight of original objective.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
object		rising
view		steady
purpose		falling
target		rising
objective		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: end¹, aim¹
4 letters: fact¹, view¹, goal¹, mark¹, item², butt¹
5 letters: thing¹, point¹, cause¹, focus², sight¹, drift¹
6 letters: reason², design², target², intent², motive², sucker²
7 letters: article³, purpose², reality⁴
9 letters: existence³, objective³, intention³
10 letters: phenomenon⁴
11 letters: destination⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (item² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: objet
Italiano: oggetto
Español: objeto
Deutsch: Gegenstand
Català: objecte