ontological

American  

[on-tl-oj-i-kuhl] / ˌɒn tlˈɒdʒ ɪ kəl /

Sometimes ontologic,

adjective

1. of or relating to ontology, the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being as such; metaphysical.

   Some of the U.S. founders held an ontological belief in natural rights.

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Other Word Forms

• nonontological
  adjective
• unontological
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ontological

First recorded in 1700–10; ontolog(y) ( def. ) + -ical ( def. )

Explanation

Things that have to do with the nature of being are ontological, like your ontological question about the Loch Ness Monster — do we have to have proof in order for something to exist? The study of being, is called ontology, so an ontological argument might investigate whether God — or people, for that matter — really exist. Are we real or just an imagined phenomenon? How do we know we aren't just characters in our creator's mind? These are heavy questions — philosophers including Aristotle, Parmenides, Descartes, Hume, Kant have all weighed in on the ontological question of “what can we be certain exists?”

Example Sentences

Ontological approaches dealing with the nature of being are more convincing, even if they will most likely not change the minds of atheists.

From Scientific American • Oct. 4, 2022

Ontological argument an argument for the existence of God built upon a consideration of the attribute of God’s existence.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

When she joined, her business card read Ontological Yahoo, a term reflecting her philosophical approach to the job.

From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2016

"Natural kinds" in Ontological Relativity and Other Essays.

From Scientific American • May 24, 2011

Chadwick's Law of Dimensionality, Dvedkin and the Ontological Mean ... oh, I keep up with the literature.

From Charley de Milo by Janifer, Laurence M.

Related Words

• existential
• metaphysical