telic
Americanadjective
-
Grammar. expressing end or purpose.
a telic conjunction.
-
tending to a definite end.
adjective
-
directed or moving towards some goal; purposeful
-
(of a clause or phrase) expressing purpose
Other Word Forms
- nontelic adjective
- telically adverb
- untelic adjective
Etymology
Origin of telic
First recorded in 1840–50, telic is from the Greek word telikós pertaining to an end or cause. See tel- 2, -ic
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.
These operations, as rarefied and complex as they may have become, continue to perform the basic telic task of the second law.
From Salon
Purposive progress rather than unconscious, telic rather than genetic, is the order of the evolution of society.
From Project Gutenberg
He has learned the futility of telic endeavor, and knows the delight of drifting along with the whimsicalities of Chance.
From Project Gutenberg
They take place in the cosmic context of a naturally telic, purposive universe.
From Salon
Means of Social Progress.—There are three distinct means of telic progress.
From Project Gutenberg
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.
