ontological

adjective

on·​to·​log·​i·​cal ˌän-tə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce ontological (audio)
1
: of or relating to ontology
an ontological principle
2
: relating to or based upon being or existence
Virtual environments engage millions of people and billions of dollars each year. What is the ontological status of the virtual objects that populate those environments?David Leech Anderson
ontologically adverb

Examples of ontological in a Sentence

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Nontraditional techniques of ontological classification can reduce the size of the LLMs and, subsequently, the computational resources needed for training and operation. Tj Dunham, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Bull’s Heart by Eva Stefani Reasoning: With Bull’s Heart, Eva Stefani offers us a masterpiece that stretches beyond the fragmented aspects of one of the greatest artists of our time, touching upon broader socio-political and ontological questions with both dreamlike and utterly realistic elements. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025 Mid-20th century, metafiction was all about producing a sort of free zone of uncertainty in the reader about whether they themselves might be caught within a story or the product of some author, or being manipulated by some storyteller at a higher ontological plane, a different plane of being. Emma Alpern, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025 Today, Meaghan Garvey offers an ontological bonus cut from her time in Sweden with King Nothingg. Meaghan Garvey, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ontological

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ontological was in 1705

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Cite this Entry

“Ontological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ontological. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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