adj · academic

subjective

/səbˈdʒɛktɪv/sub·JEC·tive

Band 5-6task2speaking

Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions rather than external facts.

Examples

Reviews of art are often subjective, depending on the critic's taste.

The grading should be as objective as possible, not subjective.

Her view of success is highly subjective.

Band 8 sentence

While art criticism is inevitably subjective, reviewers should justify their opinions with concrete observations.

Collocations

  • subjective opinion
  • highly subjective
  • be subjective about

Word family

subjective adjectivesubjectively adverbsubjectivity noun

Common mistakes

use 'subjective' when you mean 'opinion' every timeuse 'subjective' to describe opinions based on personal feeling, not every 'opinion' context

I feel that is subjectively trueI feel that is subjectively true

Say it for a higher band

5personal6opinionated7+subjective

Synonyms

personal

biased

Easily confused

biased

The jury appeared biased, favouring the defendant.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In -ive

Learn it with its set