teleological
|te-le-o-lo-gi-cal|
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/ˌtɛliəˈlɑdʒɪkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌtɛlɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/
relating to ends or purposes
Etymology
'teleological' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'telos' (end, purpose) combined with the element '-logia' from 'logos' (study/speech), with the modern adjective formed by adding English/Latin suffix '-al' to 'teleology'.
'teleological' developed from Medieval/Modern Latin 'teleologia' (from Greek 'teleologia'), which entered English as 'teleology'; the adjective was formed in English (or via Latin adjective forms) as 'teleological'.
Initially it referred to the study or doctrine of 'ends' or 'purposes' ('teleology'); over time it came to be used adjectivally to mean 'relating to or explaining by ends/purposes' and, in wider usage, 'ascribing purpose or design'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to teleology or the explanation of phenomena by their ends or purposes (philosophical sense).
A teleological account of history explains events in terms of their ultimate purposes or ends.
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Adjective 2
ascribing purpose, design, or intentionality to natural processes or phenomena (often used critically).
Critics argued that the claim was teleological, projecting purpose onto random evolutionary changes.
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Adjective 3
pertaining to or exhibiting apparent directionality toward an end, especially in biology or ethics (appearing goal-directed).
Some biologists use teleological language to describe the apparent function of an organ, while acknowledging natural selection as the mechanism.
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Last updated: 2025/10/13 17:15