How to use "as an objective"

What Does "as an objective" Mean?

• The phrase "as an objective" signifies something that is intended to be achieved; a goal or aim. It indicates that something is being considered or pursued as a desired outcome.
• The meaning is compositional. Each word retains its individual meaning to create the overall sense. 'As' functions as a preposition indicating role or function, 'an' is an indefinite article, and 'objective' means a goal or purpose.
• The register is generally neutral to formal, suitable for academic, professional, and journalistic contexts.

How to Use It

• Grammatically, "as an objective" functions as a prepositional phrase. It typically follows verbs like "set," "use," "have," "view," or "recognize," and it describes the purpose or goal behind an action or decision.
• Typical objects or complements that follow include nouns or gerunds that specify the objective itself. For example, "as an objective to increase sales" or "as an objective improved customer satisfaction."
• The components of the phrase cannot be separated. The phrase must remain intact to retain its meaning.
• It sounds unnatural to use an incorrect preposition (e.g., "like an objective"), a verb that doesn't suit the context (e.g., "eat as an objective"), or an object that's incompatible with the idea of a goal (e.g., "as an objective a table.")

Real-World Examples

"As an objective, I have every objection." — The New York Times

"No business views hiring as an objective." — The New York Times - Magazine

"Influence should not be set as an objective in itself." — The Guardian

"Recognising the importance of natural capital does not actually necessitate economic growth as an objective." — The Guardian

"Gates said that it would be "unwise" to have killing Gaddafi as an objective." — The Guardian

Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/as+an+objective

Similar Phrases and Alternatives

Phrase	Context
with the aim of	More formal and emphasizes intention.
with the goal of	Similar to 'with the aim of,' but slightly less formal.
as a purpose	Similar meaning, but emphasizes the reason behind something.
as an intention	Highlights the planned nature of the objective.
as a target	Implies a specific, measurable goal.
to be used as an objective	Passive construction, useful when the subject performing the action is unknown or unimportant.
serving as an objective	Emphasizes the function or role of something as an objective.

Common Mistakes

• Learners often confuse "as an objective" with similar-sounding expressions like "with the objective of," using them interchangeably even when the grammar doesn't quite fit.
• A common error is using "as an objective" as a complete sentence or independent clause without a proper verb to connect it to the rest of the thought. For example, writing "As an objective, to increase sales" instead of "We set increasing sales as an objective."
• Using an inappropriate preposition, such as "like an objective," instead of "as an objective" alters the meaning and makes the sentence grammatically incorrect.

Quick-Reference Summary

Expression	Meaning	Grammatical Pattern	Register
as an objective	A goal or aim; something intended to be achieved.	Prepositional phrase following a verb (e.g., set, have, use).	Neutral to Formal

FAQs

Can the words in "as an objective" be separated, or do they always have to stay together?

No, the words in "as an objective" should not be separated. It functions as a complete prepositional phrase, and separating the words would disrupt the grammatical structure and meaning of the sentence.

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How is "as an objective" different from "with the objective of"?

While both phrases relate to goals, "as an objective" typically follows a verb and describes something being considered a goal. "With the objective of" introduces the intended purpose or outcome of an action.

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What's the best way to correct the mistake of using "as an objective" as a complete sentence?

To correct this, add a verb and subject to form a complete sentence. For example, instead of "As an objective, to improve customer satisfaction," write "We have set improving customer satisfaction as an objective" or "Improving customer satisfaction is our objective."