Target Set Attainment Hope Achieve Business Goals Date

• business goals and targets
• attainment targets
• set yourself targets that you can reasonably hope to achieve.
• to meet/achieve a target

target

1. a result that you try to achieve
• business goals and targets
• attainment targets
• Set yourself targets that you can reasonably hope to achieve.
• to meet/achieve a target
• a target date of April 2017
• The university will reach its target of 5 000 students next September.
• The new sports complex is on target to open in June.
• a target area/audience/group (= the particular area, audience, etc. that a product, programme, etc. is aimed at)
• Set yourself targets that you can reasonably hope to achieve.
• attainment targets in schools
• What is the main objective of this project?
• He continued to pursue his goal of becoming an actor.
• The object is to educate people about road safety.
• He joined the society for political ends.
• That’s only OK if you believe that the end justifies the means(= bad methods of doing something are acceptable if the final result is good).
2. an object, a person or a place that people aim at when attacking
• They bombed military and civilian targets.
• Doors and windows are an easy target for burglars.
• It's a prime target (= an obvious target) for terrorist attacks.
• The children became the target for their father’s aggressive outbursts.
• He's become the target of a lot of criticism recently.
3. an object that people practise shooting at, especially a round board with circles on it
• to aim at a target
• to hit/miss the target
• target practice

Extra Examples

• Hospital performance targets will not be met.
• It should be possible to deliver the drug direct to the target site.
• Managers must set targets that are realistic.
• Many pay agreements reached were over the original target of 4%.
• Patton was just off target with a header.
• Politically speaking, his jibes were right on target.
• Pupils should be given a target to aim for.
• Sales so far this year are 20% above target.
• She has always set herself very high targets.
• The CEO has set new targets for growth.
• The President is a favourite/favorite target of comedians.
• The archers were setting up their targets.
• The bomb reached its intended target ten seconds later.
• The boys used an old tree stump as a target.
• The casino made an easy target for thieves.
• The company could become a takeover target.
• The company pays bonuses to workers who exceed production targets.
• The damaged ship presented a tempting target.
• The film’s target demographic is women aged 18–49 years.
• The flare overshot its target and set fire to a hotel.
• The missile is aimed specifically to destroy military targets.
• The missile never reached its target site.
• The missile veered way off target and landed in the sea.
• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.
• The real target of his satire is religion.
• The shot went wide of the target.
• The stationary trucks were sitting targets for the enemy planes.
• These figures are way off target.
• Trains are attractive targets for terrorists.
• We are still right on target.
• We are well within our target for trains arriving on time.
• We are working towards a target of twenty cars a week.
• an easy target for shoplifters
• in a desperate attempt to stay within budget targets
• setting new targets for growth
• to meet a target date of May 2002
• Our target audience is men aged between 18 and 35.
• Set yourself targets that you can reasonably hope to achieve.
• These attainment targets are based on skills rather than knowledge.
• We’re aiming to meet a target date of April 2009.
• What’s the target market for this product?
• Write a plan that sets out your business goals and targets.

Word Origin

• late Middle English (originally referring to a small round shield): diminutive of targe Old English, of Germanic origin. The noun came to denote various round objects. The verb dates from the early 17th cent.