target
noun [ C ]
uk/ˈtɑːɡɪt/ us MANAGEMENT, FINANCE, ECONOMICS, GOVERNMENT
a result, level, or situation that an organization or group wants or plans to achieve:
The company gave employees the details of performance targets for bonuses.
economic/financial targets
emissions/production/sales targets
earnings/inflation/budget targets
hit/meet/reach a target The French economy is on track to meet its growth targets.
lower/raise/reduce a target
exceed/miss/set a target The company has set a target of 10 million wholesale broadband connections by 2014.
a target date/level/price They plan to finish the manufacturing process by the new target date of October 31st.
MARKETING, POLITICS
a person, place, etc. that an action is directed at or intended for:
a/the target for sb/sth The abundance of resources makes these areas aprime target for development.
Savers have replaced borrowers as the priority target for banks and building societies.
a/the target of sth Their chief executive officer is the target of an investigation into fraud.
FINANCE (also target company)
a company that another company wants to buy:
an acquisition/bid/buyout target Their plan is to be a buyer rather than a buyout target.
The City has tipped the group as a takeover target.
FINANCE, MARKETING (also target price)
the price at which someone wants to buy or sell something:
Prices have remained below the $21 target because demand growth has been slow.
The investment house has a 1,125p target price on the shares.
an easy target (for sb/sth)
someone or something that is easy to attack or criticize, often because they cannot defend themselves:
Advertisers view themselves as an easy target for regulators.
Big oil companies make easy targets for politicians anxious to take the heat off their own taxation policies.
on target
if you are on target with a project, etc., you are likely to achieve what you planned at the time you intended:
The company's ambitious growth plans are on target.
on target to do sth We are on target to meet our sales goals for the coming year.
See also
on target earnings
target
verb [ T ]
uk/ˈtɑːɡɪt/ us MARKETING, POLITICS
to direct something, especially advertising or a product, at a particular group of people or a particular area:
aggressively/carefully/specifically target sb/sth The marketing campaign is specifically targeting a different type of customer.
target sth at sb/sth We need government restrictions on ads targeted at children.
target sth to sb/sth They plan to target the tax cut to the middle classes.
MANAGEMENT, FINANCE
to choose someone or something for a particular type of treatment:
target sb/sth for sth They have targeted the failing retailing group for takeover.
target sb/sth as sth Certain areas of manufacturing have been targeted as priorities.
See also
targeted