Objective vs. Subjective – What’s the Difference?
Objective and subjective are two quite commonly used adjectives, with meanings that can easily be confused, even though the two words are antonyms of each other.
- Subjective is an adjective, meaning based on or influenced by personal feelings or emotions.
- Objective is an adjective, meaning not based on or influenced personal feelings or emotions, but hard, factual evidence.
The best way to think about the difference between objective and subjective is by looking at the idea of an opinion. An opinion, by its very definition, is subjective, because it is a personal view on a subject which might have other possibilities. If we say an opinion is objective, it technically no longer is an opinion because personal interpretation has been removed. This is a question still debated by philosophers, but let’s simplify it by saying objective has to do with unbiased observations and subjective has to do with biased (personal) evaluations.
Look at these two statements:
- Donald Trump won the 2016 US presidential elections.
- Donald Trump was lucky to win the 2016 US presidential elections.
The first statement is an objective one. It reflects a fact, with no personal interpretation.
The second statement is a subjective one. Perhaps it is somewhat factual, perhaps not. But because it is a personal interpretation open to debate, it is said to be subjective.
Other examples:
- Russia is the greatest country on earth. Subjective.
- Russia is the largest country on earth.
- The Yankees are the best team in baseball. Subjective.
The Yankees have won the most World Series Championships. Objective.