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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Target: Definition, Usage & Key Examples Explained (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：objective (target)

target 🔊

/ˈtɑːrɡɪt/

Something you want to achieve or reach.

objective 🔊

➕

/əbˈdʒektɪv/

A specific, often measurable, result that one plans or works to achieve.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old French 'targette', diminutive of 'targe' (a light shield), via Middle English.

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'Tar-get it!' You aim to 'get' what you are focusing on, whether it's a bullseye or a personal goal.

📖 Example

Her target for this month is to read five new books. 🔊 Her objective for this month is to read five new books.

🔗 Collocations

set a target – to establish a specific goal

meet a target – to achieve a set goal

miss a target – to fail to achieve a set goal

🔄 Synonyms

goal (n.) – The object of a person's ambition or effort.

aim (n.) – A purpose or intention; a desired outcome.

objective (n.) – A specific, tangible goal one aims to achieve.

🚫 Antonyms

starting point (n.) – The initial stage or baseline from which progress is measured.

failure (n.) – A lack of success in achieving a goal.

🌱 Derivatives

targeted (adj.) – directed at a specific, carefully selected object or group

targeting (n.) – the act of selecting or aiming at a specific target

📖 Cultural Story

Originally a small round shield (16th C.), the word's meaning shifted to the object placed on a butt for archery or gunnery practice. This evolution from 'a thing to protect oneself' to 'a thing to be aimed at' is a key linguistic shift, solidifying the modern meaning by the 18th century.

Meaning 2：mark (target)

target 🔊

/ˈtɑːrɡɪt/

An object or person that is aimed at.

mark 🔊

➕

/mɑːrk/

An object, typically with a marked surface, that is used for practice or competition in shooting or archery.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The archer focused carefully on the round target fifty meters away. 🔊 The archer focused carefully on the round mark fifty meters away.

🔗 Collocations

hit the target – to successfully strike the aimed-at object

shoot at a target – to aim and fire a projectile towards a mark

bullseye (target center) – the central, highest-scoring point on a target

🔄 Synonyms

mark (n.) – An object serving as a point of aim or identification.

bullseye (n.) – The center of a target; a perfect shot.

🚫 Antonyms

shooter (n.) – The person or device that aims and fires at a target.