From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtargettar‧get1 /ˈtɑːɡɪt $ ˈtɑːr-/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL noun [countable] 1 aimRESULT something that you are trying to achieve, such as a total, an amount, or a time SYN goalsales/attainment/growth etc targets demanding financial targetstarget of the target of a one-third reduction in road accidentstarget for Higher degrees in English are a target for foreign students. There is no target date for completion of the new project. The government may fail to meet (=achieve) its target of recycling 25% of domestic waste. Jiang set annual growth targets of 8–9%.on target (=likely to achieve a target) The company says that growth of 10% is on target.► see thesaurus at aim2 object of attackPMATTACK an object, person, or place that is deliberately chosen to be attackedtarget for/of Railway stations are prime targets (=very likely targets) for bombs.easy/soft target Cars without security devices are an easy target for the thief.3 object of an action the person or place that is most directly affected by an action, especially a bad onetarget for/of The area has become a prime target for supermarket development. The country is a target of criticism for its human rights record.4 shootingDS something that you practise shooting at, especially a round board with circles on it The area is used by the army for target practice.5 → target audience/group/area etc6 → target languageCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: something that you are trying to achieve, such as a total, an amount, or a timeverbsmeet a target (=achieve what you want to achieve)The government wants to meet its target of building three million new homes by 2020.reach/achieve/hit a target (=meet it)They achieved their target with just days to spare.set a targetThe company has set ambitious business targets.exceed a target (=achieve more than you wanted to)We have exceeded our target of £200,000.fall short of a target (=achieve less than you wanted to)Car production at the plant has fallen short of its target by 5%.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + target ambitious/highThe targets they have set themselves are hugely ambitious.modest (=not very high)The Kyoto Protocol set fairly modest targets for reductions in greenhouse gases.achievable/realisticThe target is achievable, but only by hard work.a financial targetBoth businesses exceeded their financial targets.a sales targetI’m confident we will meet our sales target by the end of the year.a growth targetThe company’s growth targets have been achieved for the last three years.target + NOUNa target dateThere is no target date set for completion of the new project.a target figureThe government has set a target figure of 6.2% COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: an object, person, or place that is deliberately chosen to be attackedadjectivesa prime target (=the most suitable or most likely to be chosen)Sporting events could become a prime target for terrorists.the main targetThe rebel-held town is one of the main targets for U S troops.an easy/soft targetSome criminals now regard churches as easy targets.a sitting target (=someone who is easy to attack)In the open, the soldiers are sitting targets.somebody’s intended targetThe gunman missed his intended target.a military targetThe group insists that its bombs were directed against military targets.a civilian targetThe army denied it had attacked civilian targets.a legitimate target (=one that it is fair to attack)The rebels claimed that trains carrying soldiers are a legitimate target.verbsattack a targetThey have attacked military targets such as army camps and airfields.hit a targetNot every bomb hit its target.miss a targetAll of the missiles missed their target and no-one was killed.
Examples from the Corpus
target• I set myself a target of learning 20 new words each week.• The GIA continued its attacks on civilian targets.• Hiring at the three previous centers took about twice as long as the company's 60-day target, Norden said.• It has been given the lowest efficiency target in the country by the Government's new Passenger's Charter.• Now, by budget resolutions, it establishes targets in May and final ceilings in September.• The bomb missed its target by several kilometres.• The company will reach its target of 12% growth this year.• The Communist Party has become the main target for critical attack among left wing intellectuals.• The company, named for a friend who died from an infection, would search for new targets for antibiotics.• How can they achieve maximum or target levels of profits or sales without precise information concerning their revenues and costs?• The government is struggling to reach its original target of $23 billion in spending cuts.• We produced 16,000 cars this year, but our target was 17,500.• Our target is the release of all political prisoners.• Holding a US passport makes these tourists a prime target for terrorists.• He set the wage levels, the production targets, the safety standards, and he really planned the whole industry.• The commonly used roads are the targets of heavy fire.• But just into the third there was movement around the target area.• The Institution has been the target of terrorist attack several times.• When the plane gets to the target area, it drops the missile and returns to base.• Kay was the target of a noisy demonstration in which 54 people were arrested.• The target for the appeal is £20,000, all of which will go to children's charities.on target• Our year-end results were right on target.easy/soft target• Young people are an easy target.• Well, the reader may say, he's small fry, an easy target.• Which, though he didn't know it, made her an easy target.• But to the criminal she's was just an easy target.• Every so often a rabbit would make a desperate, lung-bursting bid for freedom, only to provide an easy target for the twelve-bores.• So we opt for cheap grace, and easy targets, instead.• It was a natural and easy target for newspapers. prime target• The area is a prime target for redevelopment.• The law and order section is a prime target for every kind of scam.• Although nationally distributed boxes do not change fronts often, the regional ones do, making them a prime target for collectors.• They are, therefore, a prime target for advertisers trying to reach an affluent market.• These factors, however, made the camps prime targets for enemy attack and bombardment.• The prime target market, then, is seen to be pre-retirement.• It was clear the police were looking for reporters, that they were prime targets.target practice• Prisoners taken were blinded, mutilated, dragged behind the hooves of horses and used as target practice by archers.• Firstly in a country full of guns it doesn't do to stand there asking to become target practice.• For the cynics of the world, Philip Gould is easy target practice.• He knew that on these streets young kids with guns used people on the sidewalks for target practice.• It ensured that no trigger-happy missile controller would fail to observe the safety precautions and attempt a little target practice.• It is merely target practice using live targets.• After sundown, a bit of target practice on the estate, using his collection of sophisticated weapons.• A downtown establishment has always made for satisfying target practice.targettarget2 ●○○ AWL verb [transitive] 1 RESULTto make something have an effect on a particular limited group or area The advertisement was designed to target a mass audience.target something on/at somebody/something a new benefit targeted on low-income families The programme is targeted at improving the health of women of all ages.2 PMATTACKto aim something at a targettarget something on/at somebody/something The missiles are targeted at several key military sites.3 CHOOSEto choose a particular person or place to do something to, especially to attack them or criticize them It’s clear that smaller, more vulnerable banks have been targeted. He was targeted by terrorists for a second time last night.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
target• These and other economic development proposals have emphasized targeting and leveraging to get maximum use of the federal dollars.• Warshaw says Waxman and other critics have charged that police are targeting black neighborhoods.• For example, they tried to link training placement to jobs, or to target construction jobs on local people.• The company may then target its efforts on these preferred locations.• Ireland is more ruthless still in targeting public health care.From Longman Business Dictionarytargettar‧get1 /ˈtɑːgətˈtɑːr-/ noun [countable]1an organization, industry, government etc that is deliberately chosen to have something done to ittarget ofThere was persistent speculation that the company could be the target of a takeover bid.Computers are helping choose targets for direct-mail and telephone campaigns.Europe will be the main target for rising South African coal exports.2a result such as a total, an amount, or a time which you aim to achieveDealers are under pressure to meet sales targets.Bonuses were introduced for employees who met production targets.The federal funds rate slipped to 7% from its target level of 8%.3on target on the way to achieving a resultThe export business is booming and the U.S. business is right on target.4target customer/group/area etcMARKETING a limited group of people or area that a plan, idea etc is aimed atWho is the target audience for this book?These advertisements are aimed mainly at our target customers.targettarget2 verb [transitive]1to aim products, programmes of work, etc at a particular area or group of peopletarget something on somethingWe will target funds on areas of research where breakthroughs are imminent.target something at somethingThe booklet is targeted at people approaching retirement.2to choose someone or something for a particular type of treatmentThe main markets targeted for development have been those of the US and Western Europe. —targeted adjective [only before a noun]Investing relatively small amounts in targeted areas can bring big profits.a targeted advertising campaign→ See Verb tableOrigin target1 (1200-1300) Old French targette, from targe “small shield” 