often attributive
1
a
: a mark to shoot at
b
: a target marked by shots fired at it
c
: something or someone fired at or marked for attack
d
: a goal to be achieved
2
a
: an object of ridicule or criticism
b
: something or someone to be affected by an action or development
c
US law
: a person against whom a federal prosecutor has substantial evidence of involvement in criminal activity and who the prosecutor believes is likely to be indicted by a grand jury
The full extent of Iacobelli's ongoing cooperation is sealed in federal court, but prosecutors have identified additional targets and Iacobelli could spend less time in prison if his help proves substantial.—
Robert Snell
Robert Snell3
a
: the metallic surface (as of platinum or tungsten) upon which the stream of electrons within an X-ray tube is focused and from which the X-rays are emitted
b
: a body, surface, or material bombarded with nuclear particles or electrons
especially
: fluorescent material on which desired visual effects are produced in electronic devices (as in radar)
4
: a small round shield
targeted; targeting; targets
1
: to make a target of
targeted her for promotion
especially
: to set as a goal
2
: to direct or use toward a target
Synonyms
Examples of target in a Sentence
Noun
Our target amount for the fund-raiser is $2,500.
They set a target date of May 31.
Planes struck at key military targets.
Tourists are often easy targets for thieves.
Verb
drugs that target cancer cells
Recent Examples on the WebTodd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
With Amazon Web Services pursuing a $35 billion data center expansion in Virginia, rural portions of the state are the industry’s newest target for development.
—Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Project Nimbus has been the target of protests by Google and Amazon workers for years.
—Caroline Haskins, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024
Sure, that might be a layer of the humor at times, but the host is careful to situate himself and his own discomfort as the real target of the joke.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Paris has been the target of terror attacks in the past.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 17 Apr. 2024
In the past, corporate marketing was easy enough—a memorable catchphrase, celebrity endorsement, or a Super Bowl spot for the ultimate win—but, as television viewership declined and customer attention diluted across multiple social platforms, the target for advertisers began to shift.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Stanley had a resurgence in popularity in 2016 when its target demographic expanded and now goes toe to toe with Yeti on many fronts.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
An agreement that encourages recycling targets for plastics and other materials will help drive a huge leap in the portion of plastics that can be diverted from landfills and given new life.
—Jim Fitterling, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Part of the reason pro-Palestinian activists are targeted in greater numbers is that more students have embraced the Palestinian cause in recent years.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
When Musk took control of Twitter, Brazilian conservative influencers who had been targeted by Moraes saw an opportunity.
—Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
The stock has fallen about 39% so far in 2024, making Tesla one of the worst performers in the S&P 500, only outmatched by insurance company Globe Life — which is being targeted by short-sellers and has dropped 45%.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
The sanctions target the Iranian drone program and steel and auto industries accused of working on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Most tax measures put on the ballot by local government boards and councils require a two-thirds majority if the money is targeted for a specific purpose.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024
Some committee members have reported being targeted by threats and harassment by Trump supporters.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2024
Democrats perennially target Texas in hopes of flipping it blue, and this year is no exception.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Noun
The analyst boosted his 12-month price target on the stock from to $600 to $725.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
With Amazon Web Services pursuing a $35 billion data center expansion in Virginia, rural portions of the state are the industry’s newest target for development.
—Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Project Nimbus has been the target of protests by Google and Amazon workers for years.
—Caroline Haskins, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024
Sure, that might be a layer of the humor at times, but the host is careful to situate himself and his own discomfort as the real target of the joke.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Paris has been the target of terror attacks in the past.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 17 Apr. 2024
In the past, corporate marketing was easy enough—a memorable catchphrase, celebrity endorsement, or a Super Bowl spot for the ultimate win—but, as television viewership declined and customer attention diluted across multiple social platforms, the target for advertisers began to shift.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Stanley had a resurgence in popularity in 2016 when its target demographic expanded and now goes toe to toe with Yeti on many fronts.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
An agreement that encourages recycling targets for plastics and other materials will help drive a huge leap in the portion of plastics that can be diverted from landfills and given new life.
—Jim Fitterling, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
Verb
Women and girls are overwhelmingly targeted, including both public figures like Taylor Swift and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and everyday people.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Part of the reason pro-Palestinian activists are targeted in greater numbers is that more students have embraced the Palestinian cause in recent years.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
When Musk took control of Twitter, Brazilian conservative influencers who had been targeted by Moraes saw an opportunity.
—Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
The stock has fallen about 39% so far in 2024, making Tesla one of the worst performers in the S&P 500, only outmatched by insurance company Globe Life — which is being targeted by short-sellers and has dropped 45%.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
The sanctions target the Iranian drone program and steel and auto industries accused of working on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Most tax measures put on the ballot by local government boards and councils require a two-thirds majority if the money is targeted for a specific purpose.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024
Some committee members have reported being targeted by threats and harassment by Trump supporters.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2024
Democrats perennially target Texas in hopes of flipping it blue, and this year is no exception.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'target.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near target
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/target. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
target
noun
tar·get
ˈtär-gət 
1
: something to be affected by an action or development
specifically
: an organ, part, or tissue that is affected by the action of a hormone
2
a
: the metallic surface usually of platinum or tungsten upon which the stream of electrons within an X-ray tube is focused and from which the X-rays are emitted
b
: a body, surface, or material bombarded with nuclear particles or electrons
3
: the thought or object that is to be recognized (as by telepathy) or affected (as by psychokinesis) in a parapsychological experiment
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