subjectivity
UK: səbˈdʒektɪvɪti | US: səbˈdʒektɪvɪti
n. the quality of being based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions
n. (philosophy) the condition of being a conscious subject with perceptions and experiences
subjectivity = subject<underlying basis> + ivity<noun suffix denoting quality>
- subject (from Latin subiectus, "lying beneath, subordinate," from sub<under> + iacere<to throw>)
- Originally referred to something "thrown under" authority or analysis. Evolved to mean "theme" or "conscious self."
- ivity (noun-forming suffix from Latin -ivitas, indicating a state or quality)
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin subiectivus, meaning "pertaining to the subject of thought." It entered Middle English via Old French, initially tied to philosophical discourse about the perceiving self. The suffix -ity formalized its abstract noun form, emphasizing the quality of being shaped by individual perspective.
Art criticism often involves a degree of subjectivity.
The study aimed to reduce subjectivity in data interpretation.
Her writing explores the subjectivity of human memory.
Philosophers debate whether objectivity can ever escape subjectivity.
Cultural differences heighten the subjectivity of moral judgments.