ontological argument

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noun Philosophy.

an a priori argument for the existence of God, asserting that as existence is a perfection, and as God is conceived of as the most perfect being, it follows that God must exist; originated by Anselm, later used by Duns Scotus, Descartes, and Leibniz.

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Also called ontological proof .

Origin of ontological argument

First recorded in 1875–80

Words nearby ontological argument

onto function, ontogenesis, ontogenetic, ontogeny, ontological, ontological argument, ontologism, ontologize, ontology, on top, on top of

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ontological argument in a sentence

In 2009, a Pakistani Christian woman got into a religious argument with some Muslim women with whom she was harvesting berries.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I remember that after the movie, people were saying how depressing it was, and I started an argument with them.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Mehdi Bayati has been putting forward the same argument as my middle school teachers.
50 Shades of Iran: The Mullahs’ Kinky Fantasies about Sex in the West|IranWire, Shima Sharabi|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The argument now is how to limit certain types of plays that banks can make under certain circumstances.
How Naive is Elizabeth Warren?|Nick Gillespie|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The New York kingmaker who died Monday believed voters could actually handle a nuanced argument.
David Garth, the Consultant Who Talked Up to Voters|Jeff Greenfield|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many people when presented with the argument above, would settle it at once with the word "socialism."
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
"But I don't see what you can shoot with it," said Davy, feeling that he was somehow getting the worst of the argument.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
That argument was not the one of least weight in the council in determining that our fleet should not sail against the enemy.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
These brilliant results were arrived at after much clamour and argument and imposing procès verbal.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
An argument took place in a coffee-house, between two men of taste, as to the best method of dressing a beefsteak.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ontological argument

ontological argument

noun philosophy

the traditional a priori argument for the existence of God on the grounds that the concept itself necessitates existenceCompare cosmological argument, teleological argument

any analogous argument from the nature of some concept to the existence of whatever instantiates it

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012