autotelic

[aw-tuh-tel-ik]

adjective Philosophy.

(of an entity or event) having within itself the purpose of its existence or happening.

Compare heterotelic.

Origin of autotelic

First recorded in 1900–05; auto-¹ + telic

Related formsau·to·tel·ism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018