What does subjectivity mean?
Subjectivity is the quality of viewing something through the lens of personal experience, feelings, beliefs, or judgments. A subjective account may be sincere and illuminating, but it may also be influenced by bias or incomplete knowledge. The word is especially important in philosophy, where it describes the fact that conscious experience is always presented from the perspective of someone who is experiencing it. Subjectivity therefore does not necessarily mean error or irrationality; an objective measurement and a subjective response can coexist. In ordinary discussion, saying that a decision is subjective usually means that it reflects personal preferences rather than an agreed standard. Understanding the term helps distinguish personal perspective from impartial assessment without automatically dismissing the perspective itself.
nounThe quality or condition of being based on personal feelings, beliefs, or experiences rather than objective facts. In philosophy, it refers to the way in which conscious experience is inherently shaped by the perceiver.
- The quality of a judgment, experience, or account being determined by personal feelings, beliefs, tastes, or circumstances.
- The philosophical condition of conscious experience as necessarily involving the perspective of the person experiencing it.
"Her account of the event was shaped by the subjectivity of a first-hand witness."
"The difference between the two paintings lies in the painter's subjectivity rather than in the quality of the materials."
"Philosophers debate whether subjective experience can ever be described entirely in objective terms."
Usually singular. The plural is uncommon but may refer to different forms or expressions of subjectivity.
"The study examines how subjective identities shape the museum's individual interpretations."
Even the most objective photograph is filtered through a photographer's choices of light, angle, and moment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does subjectivity come from?
Subjectivity was formed in the early 19th century from subjective plus the suffix -ity, meaning the state or quality of being subjective. The adjective subjective ultimately comes through French from Latin subjectivus, a derivative of subjectus, “thrown under” or “made subject,” from the prefix sub- and the Latin verb jacere, “to throw.” The same Latin root underlies cognates including subject, subjection, and subjugate.
Related word forms
How subjectivity is actually used
In everyday use, subjectivity often implies that a view is personal, subjective, or open to bias. In philosophy and psychology, it can have the more technical sense of experience or knowledge that is inseparable from the observer's perspective.
Easily confused with subjectivity
Subjectivity emphasizes personal perspective or experience, whereas objectivity emphasizes impartial judgment and reliance on verifiable facts.