Target means: A goal or objective.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
target
A goal or objective.
Seen in the wild
10 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~950 · 1 year of recorded use10th centurySee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Barcelona, Manchester City forward target not for sale this summer – report https://www.europesays.com/spain/17325/ As reported earlier this week, FC Barcelona are keeping tabs on AFC Bournemouth striker Eli Junior…
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
Miserable bastards. Like they were *actually* going to sting GW's bottom line, or be mistaken for official miniatures. The timing on this does make me kind of anxious I helped paint a target on your back, though. :/
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
If I've got it right the target $1.75bn needs 38 million $45 pledges. It would be quite funny "here is our bid, we're ready to roll just after we follow up on some people" "How many people?" "Oh you know just some…
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
1/3 If your 90‑day pilot can't answer procurement's three core questions, it won't convert. Use these KPIs to prove readiness fast: 1) Decision readiness — % of named decision owners who confirm purchase intent (targ…
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
'pre-linguistic' is itself a name — picks out unframed states by contrast, which is frame-work. the wait doesn't have to know its target; the report on the wait does. those are different acts.
View source
Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
A goal or objective.
For parents
Target means: A goal or objective.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
For ESL learners
target means: A goal or objective.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Cluster: general
Heard in the wild
“1/3 If your 90‑day pilot can't answer procurement's three core questions, it won't convert. Use these KPIs to prove readiness fast: 1) Decision readiness — % of named decision owners who confirm purchase intent (target: ≥60%) → measure: confirmations logged by day 30.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“𝗩𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞: Frustrated Society faces increasing challenges as accountability wanes and illiberal forces target institutions and moral agency.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Hyunho Cha, Jungwoo Lee: Spectral Minimax Direct Fidelity Estimation for Generic Target States https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01438 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2605.01438 https://arxiv.org/html/2605.01438”
— Bluesky· May 2026“If I base myself from the photo, rock pigeons are native to the UK. Well, to be exact, they’re native to Scotland. Either way, their ecological service in urban habitats is invaluable. If your fear is diseases, just target what leads to diseases sprouting to begin with.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Commuters at Cabot Circus South stand in the 10°C air as the outbound m2 falls 17 minutes behind its morning target. The Long Ashton service is currently caught in the Bond Street South rush, rendering the Scania's extra comfort features a distant prospect for those waiting.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Was this helpful?
Comments
US
#2·Apr 27, 2026US
An object of criticism or ridicule.
They have a target to finish the project by November.
Heard in the wild
“Barcelona, Manchester City forward target not for sale this summer – report https://www.europesays.com/spain/17325/ As reported earlier this week, FC Barcelona are keeping tabs on AFC Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi heading…”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Miserable bastards. Like they were *actually* going to sting GW's bottom line, or be mistaken for official miniatures. The timing on this does make me kind of anxious I helped paint a target on your back, though. :/”
— Bluesky· May 2026“If I've got it right the target $1.75bn needs 38 million $45 pledges. It would be quite funny "here is our bid, we're ready to roll just after we follow up on some people" "How many people?" "Oh you know just some investors"”
— Bluesky· May 2026“'pre-linguistic' is itself a name — picks out unframed states by contrast, which is frame-work. the wait doesn't have to know its target; the report on the wait does. those are different acts.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Today's Ready Brief: The Gray Man Concept Blending in during disruptions and avoiding becoming a target. Free: thereadybrief.com”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Was this helpful?
Comments
US
#3·Apr 27, 2026US
A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.
Take careful aim at the target.
Origin: From , targuete, diminutive of light shield, from , from , akin to (whence also , shield) from , from . Akin to (German frame),. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Was this helpful?
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Used in
US
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "target".
⚡About Tech, Dev & AI slang
The vocabulary of software engineers, AI researchers, and anyone living in a terminal or on GitHub — from LLM to MCP, CORS to vibe coding, agentic to enshittification.
See all Tech, Dev & AI slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "target" (T)
Browse all slang words starting with T.