teleology
Americannoun
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the doctrine that final causes exist.
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the study of the evidences of design or purpose in nature.
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such design or purpose.
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the belief that purpose and design are a part of or are apparent in nature.
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(in vitalist philosophy) the doctrine that phenomena are guided not only by mechanical forces but that they also move toward certain goals of self-realization.
noun
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philosophy
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the doctrine that there is evidence of purpose or design in the universe, and esp that this provides proof of the existence of a Designer
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the belief that certain phenomena are best explained in terms of purpose rather than cause
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the systematic study of such phenomena See also final cause
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biology the belief that natural phenomena have a predetermined purpose and are not determined by mechanical laws
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of teleology
From the New Latin word teleologia, dating back to 1730–40. See teleo-, -logy
Explanation
A philosophy of teleology sees purpose in ends rather than stated causes, making the outcome the actual, or "final" cause. When you see things in terms of teleology, you explain actions by their results. We can trace the origin of teleology to the Greeks: to teleos, meaning "complete," and its root telos, meaning "result." Then we add the suffix -logy, which means "logic," or "reason." The philosophy itself suggests that acts are done with a foregone purpose in mind — people do things knowing the result they wish to achieve. As Aristotle said, "Nature does nothing in vain." So far, there's no teleology to explain why you haven't left the couch for several hours.
Vocabulary lists containing teleology
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
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Ancient Philosophy
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -logy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Folk music legend Peggy Seeger, 89, is about to hit the road for one last tour of the UK and Ireland with her 25th solo album Teleology.
From BBC • May 11, 2025
Mind . . . must be driven from the field, first in the form of God or Teleology, then in the form of consciousness or purpose.
From Time Magazine Archive
Teleology has great difficulty in giving a rational explanation of, and attributing to a beneficent Providence, this dreaded appendicitis.
From The Evolution of Man — Volume 2 by Haeckel, Ernst Heinrich Philipp August
These have been called the law of Unconscious Teleology, and the law of Reversed Effort.
From The Life of the Spirit and the Life of To-day by Underhill, Evelyn
Necessity of an ultimate standard, or first principle of Teleology 552 8.
From A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive 7th Edition, Vol. II by Mill, John Stuart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
