target
Americannoun
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targets
plural
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an object, usually marked with concentric circles, to be aimed at in shooting practice or contests.
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any object used for this purpose.
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anything fired at.
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a goal to be reached.
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an object of abuse, scorn, derision, etc.; butt.
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Fencing. the portion of a fencer's body where a touch can be scored.
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a disk-shaped signal, as at a railroad switch, indicating the position of a switch.
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Surveying.
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the sliding sight on a leveling rod.
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any marker on which sights are taken.
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a small shield, usually round, carried by a foot soldier; buckler.
adjective
verb (used with object)
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targets,
present (3rd person singular)
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targeted,
past participle, past
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targeting
present participle
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to use, set up, or designate as a target or goal.
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to direct toward a target.
The new warheads can be targeted with great precision.
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to make a target of (an object, person, city, etc.) for attack or bombardment.
verb phrase
idioms
noun
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an object or area at which an archer or marksman aims, usually a round flat surface marked with concentric rings
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( as modifier )
target practice
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any point or area aimed at; the object of an attack or a takeover bid
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( as modifier )
target area
target company
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a fixed goal or objective
the target for the appeal is £10 000
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a person or thing at which an action or remark is directed or the object of a person's feelings
a target for the teacher's sarcasm
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a joint of lamb consisting of the breast and neck
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surveying a marker on which sights are taken, such as the sliding marker on a levelling staff
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(formerly) a small round shield
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physics electronics
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a substance, object, or system subjected to bombardment by electrons or other particles, or to irradiation
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an electrode in a television camera tube whose surface, on which image information is stored, is scanned by the electron beam
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electronics an object to be detected by the reflection of a radar or sonar signal, etc
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on the correct course to meet a target or objective
verb
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to make a target of
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to direct or aim
to target benefits at those most in need
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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targetsimple
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targetssimple
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have targetedperfect
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has targetedperfect
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am targetingprogressive
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are targetingprogressive
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is targetingprogressive
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have been targetingperfect progressive
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has been targetingperfect progressive
Past
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targetedsimple
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had targetedperfect
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was targetingprogressive
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were targetingprogressive
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had been targetingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of target
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun, from Middle French targuete, variant of targete “small shield” see targe, -et
Explanation
A target is something to shoot at, either real or figurative. If you're an archer, you're aiming for the bull's-eye on the target. If you're selling cars for a living, then you likely have a sales target you need to hit. You can hit a target, which is usually a good thing, or, less happily, you can be a target, such as a target of ridicule when you wear that goofy Swiss cheese hat and you aren't even from Wisconsin. As a marketing ploy, you could target Green Bay Packer season ticket holders when you decide to unload that hat. You might find a buyer among them, someone who wouldn't worry about being a target for those who object to silly hats.
Vocabulary lists containing target
Excerpt from "Night"
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Loaded Words from the Gun Violence Debate
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 10
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It also makes a low-cost weapons system—called Vampire—that can target drones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
"The speech arrives against a difficult policy backdrop. Inflation remains above target for a sixth consecutive year, while Fed officials have begun debating whether tighter policy may still be required."
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
A tentative peace deal in June brought energy prices lower and helped inflation return to target after peaking at 2.8% in May.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Bessent said "no one is above the reach of US sanctions" when asked if Washington would target Chinese banks that do business with Iran.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
She had done it once, though usually she’d miss the second target by a lot.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
"The targets at Bayern are always set as high as possible, which means winning the Bundesliga, winning the cup, winning the Champions League and perhaps even winning every single match," said Kompany this summer.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Trail parking lots there sit next to a boulder-strewn meadow where marmot mothers nurse their young in burrows, making nearby cars irresistible targets, said park spokeswoman Holly Streit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
But with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams getting the majority of targets, Atwell caught only six passes for 192 yards, 88 coming on a winning touchdown pass play against the Indianapolis Colts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
He added that the spaceport will help SpaceX move much faster and meet its targets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Then as now, air raids sometimes hit unintended targets.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
However, while its sanctions announced on Monday targeted some Chinese entities accused of helping Tehran procure "critical technology", Washington has so far held back from punishing major Chinese financial institutions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Section 301 allows a president to tariff as a targeted economic diplomacy measure to induce a foreign government to abandon a particular practice.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
The U.S. sanctions against Mado also targeted a Chinese businessman named Ma Jie for helping supply parts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Energy UK says a targeted plan would cost £1.9bn.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Soon after Deane arrived in Paris, he was targeted by a flashy, quick-witted British agent.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
Billions of dollars are flowing into therapies targeting age-related diseases specifically.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
The next afternoon she was on a bus heading for Nashville, targeting a career in country music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
She argues that's a reason for accelerating peatland restoration which is currently targeting 400,000 hectares - about 1,500 square miles - by 2040 and describes it as "a complete no brainer."
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
CHICAGO—In 2022, the city of Chicago hit a milestone it had been targeting for seven years: It lifted a key credit rating out of junk status.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
At recess they’d made snow forts and had snowball fights and Jack was a master—his fort was bigger and thicker than everyone else’s, and his snowballs seemed to have targeting computers on them.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
