autology
|au-to-lo-gy|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtəˈlɑːdʒi/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəˈlɒdʒi/
self-describing
Etymology
'autology' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'autologia', where 'auto-' meant 'self' and 'logia' meant 'speech, study'.
'autologia' entered Late/Modern Latin as 'autologia' and was adopted into English as 'autology' (recorded in English from the 19th century onward).
Initially it meant 'speech or discourse about oneself' or 'the study of the self', but over time it has come to be used especially for the notion of a word or term that describes itself ('self-descriptive').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the property of a word or expression that describes or applies to itself (e.g., the word 'short' is autological because it is short).
Autology is discussed when a word or term applies to itself, as in the case of 'short'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
(less common) The study or discourse about oneself; self-study or self-reference in a philosophical or rhetorical context.
In certain philosophical texts, autology refers to a mode of inquiry focused on the self.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/26 15:44