'OKR' stands for 'Objectives and Key Results' — a goal-setting framework popularised at Google after being developed at Intel in the 1970s by Andy Grove. Each Objective (what you want to achieve) is paired with measurable Key Results (how you'll know you got there). If your young adult talks about OKRs at work, they are using standard corporate planning vocabulary. Common in tech start-ups and increasingly elsewhere.
OKR
Objectives and Key Results.
ˌoʊ.keɪˈɑːrDocumented since 1990s1990sGen Zhistorical391 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1999 · no dated citations yetMillennial / early-internet eraSee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
Firecrawl: Objectives and key results - Wikipedia
03. ^ [Jump up to: _**a**_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectives_and_key_results#cite_ref-whatmatters_what_is_okr_3-0) [_**b**_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectives_and_key_results#cite_ref-whatmatters_what_i…
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Firecrawl: OKRs vs. KPIs: understanding measurements for your SaaS business
Measure by {metric}.<br>OKR for capability = Launch {feature} for {benefit} on {date}.
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Firecrawl: OKRs vs. KPIs: understanding measurements for your SaaS business
Measure by {metric}.<br>OKR for capability = Launch {feature} for {benefit} on {date}.
View source
Firecrawl: Objectives and key results - Wikipedia
03. ^ [Jump up to: _**a**_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectives_and_key_results#cite_ref-whatmatters_what_is_okr_3-0) [_**b**_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectives_and_key_results#cite_ref-whatmatters_what_i…
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Definitions
US-TECH
+834100%
#1·Apr 24, 2026US-TECH
Objectives and Key Results. A goal-setting framework where you set an aspirational Objective (qualitative) and 3–5 measurable Key Results. Everywhere in tech since Google adopted it.
"Our Q2 OKR: grow weekly active users by 40%."
Origin: Developed at Intel by Andy Grove; brought to Google by John Doerr in 1999.
For parents
'OKR' stands for 'Objectives and Key Results' — a goal-setting framework popularised at Google after being developed at Intel in the 1970s by Andy Grove. Each Objective (what you want to achieve) is paired with measurable Key Results (how you'll know you got there). If your young adult talks about OKRs at work, they are using standard corporate planning vocabulary. Common in tech start-ups and increasingly elsewhere.
For ESL learners
'OKR' stands for 'Objectives and Key Results', a goal-setting framework devised by Andy Grove at Intel in the 1970s and popularised globally by Google. Each Objective (qualitative aim) is paired with measurable Key Results (quantitative indicators of success). Register: corporate jargon, semi-formal. Acceptable in business writing as-is, with spelling out on first reference. A common learner mistake is to confuse OKRs with KPIs (key performance indicators) — KPIs measure ongoing performance, OKRs set time-bound stretch goals.
Heard in the wild
“03. ^ [Jump up to: _**a**_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectives_and_key_results#cite_ref-whatmatters_what_is_okr_3-0) [_**b**_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectives_and_key_results#cite_ref-whatmatters_what_is_okr_3-1)["What is an OKR?”
“Measure by {metric}.<br>OKR for capability = Launch {feature} for {benefit} on {date}.”
“Measure by {metric}.<br>OKR for capability = Launch {feature} for {benefit} on {date}.”
“03. ^ [Jump up to: _**a**_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectives_and_key_results#cite_ref-whatmatters_what_is_okr_3-0) [_**b**_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectives_and_key_results#cite_ref-whatmatters_what_is_okr_3-1)["What is an OKR?”
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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.
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Other words near "OKR" (O)
oil panoily riceoi oiokayegOkieOklahoma onion burgerokr checkokr godokr maxxingokr modeokr pilledokr szn
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Related terms
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Semantically related
- okr god70%
The person in your organization who has completely mastered the art of writing, gaming, and presenting OKRs — they set goals that are ambitious enough to look impressive but achievable enough to always hit 100%, and they make it look effortless. An OKR god understands that the framework is partly about accountability and partly about optics, and they've optimized for both. Everyone knows who they are because their quarterly reviews are suspiciously perfect while the rest of us scramble at 60%.
- okr maxxing66%
The aggressive pursuit of maximally ambitious Objectives and Key Results — setting every target at the outer edge of plausibility and then hustling obsessively to hit them. OKR-maxxers treat quarterly planning like a speedrun, stacking stretch goals on stretch goals and treating anything below 70% attainment as a personal failure rather than the system working as intended. Often visible in founder culture and hustle-adjacent LinkedIn posts. The ironic usage acknowledges both the ambition and the absurdity of turning a planning framework into a personality trait.
- okr mode63%
The hyper-focused, productivity-maximizing headspace that kicks in when the quarter is ending and your OKR progress bars are dangerously low — everything non-essential gets dropped, priorities snap into alignment, and suddenly you're in back-to-back standups talking about key results like they're personal survival. OKR mode is chaotic, often involves working through lunch, and is sometimes more about looking productive than being productive. The phrase carries knowing corporate satire.
- okr szn59%
The quarterly stretch of corporate life when everyone's calendar fills with goal-setting workshops, alignment calls, and the existential dread of deciding what 'ambitious yet achievable' actually means. OKR szn hits twice a year in most companies — once in January, once mid-year — and transforms even chill teammates into spreadsheet philosophers obsessed with north-star metrics and key-result confidence scores. Surviving it requires caffeine, patience, and a willingness to say 'let's circle back on that KR' with a straight face.