noun · uncountable · rare

teleology

tel·e·o·logy

телеологія

телеология

Teleologie

The study of the design or final purpose of natural occurrences, that is, of such…The study of the design or final purpose of natural occurrences, that is, of such occurrences being the result of intention instead of prior causes.

UK/ˌtiːliˈɒləd͡ʒi/US/ˌtɛliˈɑləd͡ʒi/

» There are no such things as functions, no purposes, no teleology at all in the world.

Meaning

3 senses

(uncountable)The study of the design or final purpose of natural occurrences, that is, of such occurrences being the result of intention instead of prior causes.
Teleologie
телеоло́гияteleológija
телеологіяteleolohija
The study of the design or final purpose of natural occurrences, that is, of such occurrences being the result of intention instead of prior causes.
(broadly, uncountable)Design, final purpose, or intention in a natural occurrence; (countable) an assertion or instance of this.
Their proposed explanation at the time was riddled with teleology.
телеоло́гияteleológija
(uncountable)The belief or theory that a natural occurrence is the result of divine design or intention rather than the laws of nature or science; theoteleology; (countable) a particular belief or theory of this sort.

More definitions

(philosophy) a doctrine explaining phenomena by their ends or purposes

Examples

1 sentences

There are no such things as functions, no purposes, no teleology at all in the world.
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · sacredceltic · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

9 languages

Українська

By meaning 1

study of the design or final purpose of natural occurrences:

Русский

By meaning 1

study of the design or final purpose of natural occurrences:

Deutsch

By meaning 1

study of the design or final purpose of natural occurrences:

Origin

Partly borrowed from French téléologie and from German Teleologie + English -logy (suffix

Partly borrowed from French téléologie and from German Teleologie + English -logy (suffix denoting a branch of learning or study of a particular subject). Téléologie and Teleologie are both derived from Late Latin teleologia, from Ancient Greek τέλεος (téleos) (the genitive singular of τέλος (télos, “final cause, purpose”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to turn end-over-end; to revolve around, hence, to dwell, sojourn”)) + Latin -logia (suffix denoting the logical discourse or study of a subject) (from Ancient Greek -λογῐ́ᾱ (-logĭ́ā, suffix denoting a branch of learning or study of a particular subject), from λόγος (lógos, “that which is said or thought; subject matter”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”)) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns)). By surface analysis, teleo- (prefix meaning ‘end, goal, purpose’) + -logy.

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