Well-read · Philosophy & belief
Ontology: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Ontology noun. The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of being and what kinds of things exist.
How to say it
on-TOL-uh-jee/ɒnˈtɒlədʒi/
4 syllables, stressed on the second (TOL). Forms: ontological.
Meanings
- The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of being and what kinds of things exist.
- In computing, a formal map of the categories in a subject and how they relate.
Ontology in a sentence
The lecture on ontology asked whether numbers exist in the same way as chairs.
The library's new ontology links every book to its places, people and periods.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- metaphysics
- philosophy of being
Where ontology comes from
From Greek ōn, ont-, being, and -logia, study.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The library's new _____ links every book to its places, people and periods.
- ontology
- nescience
- syncretism
Show the answer
ontology: The library's new ontology links every book to its places, people and periods.