Abject and object are two words that are close in spelling and pronunciation and may be considered confusables. We will examine the different meanings of the confusables abject and object, the word origins of the terms, and some examples of their English usage in sentences.
Abject means to the most severe or base degree, the lowest or most servile, the most downcast or humble. Abject is an adjective; the adverb form is abjectly and the noun form is abjectness. The word abject is derived from the Latin word, abicere, which means to cast off.
Object, when used as a noun, means a material thing, something that exists but is not alive. Object may also mean the purpose of something or the thing that is the focus of an idea or event. In grammar, an object is the part of a sentence—usually a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun—that is affected by a verb’s action. The noun object is derived from the Latin word objicere, which means to present or put forth.Object is also a verb that means to oppose, to be against, to put forth reasons that something is unacceptable. Words related to the verb object are objects, objected, objecting, objection. The verb object is derived from the Latin word obiectare, which means to put forth arguments in opposition.
Examples
Congress legislator T. Siddique moved an adjournment notice to discuss the government’s abject failure to rehabilitate the survivors of the landslips in Wayanad (Puthumala-2019), Idukki (Pettimudy-2021), and Malappuram (Kavalapara-2019). (The Hindu)
Kate Eastman SC, the counsel assisting, asked a health department official if she accepted the rollout had been an “abject failure”. (The Guardian)
The objects are reported to have been seen by multiple witnesses across Arizona over the space of around 106 minutes. (The U.S. Sun)
“There is no evidence of any wrongdoing here and I object to the release of the returns not only on behalf of my client but on behalf of all future holders of the Office of the President of the United States,” said Trump lawyer Ronald Fischetti in a statement. (Reuters)
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