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# target

«target» in Mova's school dictionary: **a thing you aim at and try to hit, like the circle in…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a target, targets); verb (target, targets, targeted, targeting)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A target is a thing you aim at and try to hit, like the circle in archery or darts. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#m1)

2) A goal or result you try to reach: a target of 20 books. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#m2)

3) A person or thing that is attacked or criticised. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#m3)

4) (verb) To target is to aim at or choose someone or something for an action. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

Used at school: reading targets, learning targets ("My target is to use capital letters"). In PE: throwing at a target. In maths: target numbers in games ("make the target number 24"). In safety: scammers target older people and children online. Phrases: "on target", "hit the target", "miss the target".

### examples

- She hit the middle of the target. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#x1)
- My target is to read 20 books this year. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#x2)
- Throw the beanbag at the target. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#x3)
- We are on target to finish by lunch. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#x4)
- Use the four numbers to make the target number. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#x5)
- Scammers target people who are online a lot. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#x6)
- The advert targets children. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#x7)
- The shooters were thronging round the target, and Rudy was soon amongst them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/#x8)

### note

Pronounced "TAR-git". Verb forms: targeted, targeting (one t in standard spelling). Countable noun.

### In the corpora

- ["Surgical strike" means a bombing that is claimed to hit only its target, though it often hits more.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/6/)
- ["Soft target" means unprotected people or places, often ordinary civilians (people who are not soldiers).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/7/)
- ["Servicing the target" is US military jargon for bombing or killing the target.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/26-war-and-the-military/8/)
- [Lonely children are sometimes targeted online by adults pretending to be friends.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/94-frustration-loneliness-and-siblings/22/)
- [Being the target of rumours can make a child lonely, anxious and afraid to go to school.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/202-rumours-and-gossip/24/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «target» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/target/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.