teleological

adjective

tel·e·o·log·i·cal ˌtē-lē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl ˌte-

variants or less commonly teleologic

ˌtē-lē-ə-ˈlä-jik ˌte-

: exhibiting or relating to design or purpose especially in nature

teleologically

ˌtē-lē-ə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē ˌte-

adverb

Did you know?

Perhaps teleological was destined to serve a role in English. The word, along with its close relative teleology, comes to us by way of New Latin, from the Greek root telos, meaning "end or purpose." Both entered English in the 18th century, followed by teleologist in the 19th century. Teleology has the basic meaning of "the study of ends or purposes." A teleologist attempts to understand the purpose of something by looking at its results. A teleological philosopher might argue that we should judge whether an act is good or bad by seeing if it produces a good or bad result, and a teleological explanation of evolutionary changes claims that all such changes occur for a definite purpose.

Examples of teleological in a Sentence

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The problem with teleological models of history is that once the final station is reached, the story is over, and nobody knows where to go next. —Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025 And consider the benefits of a teleological perspective, setting future financial goals that inspire and motivate you, rather than being constrained by past financial missteps. —Tim Maurer, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025