ontology

[ on-tol-uh-jee ]

/ ɒnˈtɒl ə dʒi /

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See synonyms for: ontology / ontological on Thesaurus.com

noun

the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being as such.

(loosely) metaphysics.

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Origin of ontology

From the New Latin word ontologia, dating back to 1715–25. See onto-, -logy

OTHER WORDS FROM ontology

on·to·log·i·cal

[on-tl-oj-i-kuhl], /ˌɒn tlˈɒdʒ ɪ kəl/, on·to·log·ic, on·tol·o·gis·tic

[on-tol-uh-jis-tik], /ɒnˌtɒl əˈdʒɪs tɪk/, adjectiveon·tol·o·gist, noun

Words nearby ontology

ontogeny, ontological, ontological argument, ontologism, ontologize, ontology, on top, on top of, “On Top of Old Smoky”, on top of the world, on-trend

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ontology in a sentence

The presence of sector-specific data ontologies can make it hard for people outside the sector to benefit from new sources of data.
Getting value from your data shouldn’t be this hard|Janice Zdankus, Robert Christiansen|October 19, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Legal personhood, ontology, and the nitty gritty of governance.
Humans Have Rights and So Should Nature - Issue 94: Evolving|Grant Wilson|January 6, 2021|Nautilus
But on the relative plane, Zen is this-worldly and does not deny ethics, or ontology for that matter.
The Shocking Scandal at the Heart of American Zen|Jay Michaelson|November 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Materialism is for him a variety of ontology, involving the assumption that we know the essence of matter.
The English Utilitarians, Volume I.|Leslie Stephen

It is also distinguished from ontology, which investigates real existence or the theory of being.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
Plato, therefore, took this vast stride of thought, and identified the ultimate notions of ethics and ontology.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7|Various
It has only secondary forms of suggestion and support—the precarious evidence from special theorizing in ontology and metaphysics.
Theoretical Ethics|Milton Valentine
Ontology, now, is certainly not a fit subject for the consideration of the female mind.
The Transfiguration of Miss Philura|Florence Morse Kingsley

British Dictionary definitions for ontology

ontology

/ (ɒnˈtɒlədʒɪ) /

noun

philosophy the branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being

logic the set of entities presupposed by a theory

Derived forms of ontology

ontological, adjectiveontologically, adverb

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

ontology

Origin of ontology

OTHER WORDS FROM ontology

Words nearby ontology

Words related to ontology

How to use ontology in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ontology

Derived forms of ontology