American Dictionary

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Definition object in American English

object noun

[countable] noun
/ˈɑbdʒəkt/
1

a thing that you can see and touch that is not alive and is usually solid

Example

The boat was bumping against some solid object underwater.

Example

candles, vases, and other household objects

Example

There are thousands of objects in the museum's collection.

Synonyms and related words
2

something that you plan to achieve

Example

His object was to hold on until help could arrive.

Example

The decision was made with the object of cutting costs.

Synonyms and related words
3

the person or thing that something happens to or that people have a particular feeling about

Example

She had become an object of desire for him.

Example

The band is currently the object of a lot of media attention.

Example

His behavior had made him an object of ridicule.

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4

in active clauses, the part of a clause referring to the person or thing that is affected by the action of a verb. In English, the object is usually a noun group or pronoun, and comes after the verb. For example the sentence 'I've promised the children new bicycles' has two objects: 'new bicycles' is the direct object, and 'the children' is the indirect object.

Synonyms and related words
Definition object in American English