Agency Dictionary

Ontology

nounPronunciation: /ɒnˈtɒl.ə.dʒi/

In Portuguese: Ontologia

Philosophy & Ethics

What does “Ontology” mean?

The branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being, reality, and what kinds of entities can be said to exist.

Etymology

From New Latin ontologia, a philosophical coinage built from two Greek elements: ontos (the genitive of the present participle of einai, to be) and logos (account, discourse, study). The Latin term is first attested in early seventeenth-century philosophical writing and later developed into a central term of metaphysics, naming the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and categories of being.

Usage note

In information science and artificial intelligence, ontology names a formal, structured classification of the concepts of a domain, departing from its strict philosophical sense.

Synonyms

metaphysics

Word family

ontological
ontologist
ontologically

Rhymes with

biology
geology
ecology
psychology
technology

Concept

Ontological RelationalityOntological relationality is the metaphysical doctrine asserting that entities, organisms, and observers do not exist as isolated, self-contained essences, but are…

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Research.1 - PermeabilityAugust 29, 2026Read the edition

Words of the same theme

Antithesisnoun: A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
Discursiveadjective: Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
Treatisenoun: A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
Maximnoun: A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
rhetoricnoun: The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
Tangibleadjective: Perceptible by the sense of touch or capable of being physically grasped and measured in concrete physical reality. It distinguishes concrete material products from virtual or intellectual entities.
Holisticadjective: Characterized by the comprehension of parts as intimately interconnected and explicable only in reference to the whole.
Abyssnoun: A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, either in physical geography or metaphorical psychological depth. It evokes feelings of unfathomable emptiness or existential peril.
aestheticsnoun: A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, artistic taste, and style.
Agapenoun: A selfless, unconditional, and altruistic form of love often associated in theology with divine charity.
Ambiguitynoun: The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness or uncertainty of meaning.

Also from these editions: terms

Affectnoun: An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
Biomenoun: A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat defined by climate and soil.
Cognitionnoun: The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Epistemologicaladjective: Relating to epistemology, the theory of knowledge, its methods, validity, and scope.
Inferentialadjective: Characterized by or derived from deduction, reasoning from premises, or drawing conclusions from evidence.
Permeabilitynoun: The state or quality of being permeable, allowing liquids, gases, or symbolic influences to pass through.
Phenomenologynoun: The philosophical approach that concentrates on the study of conscious experience and appearances as experienced from the first-person point of view.
Reciprocitynoun: The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit; mutual dependence or action and reaction between entities.
Reductionismnoun: The practice of analyzing and describing a complex phenomenon in terms of its simple or fundamental constituents.
Somaticadjective: Relating to the physical body, especially as distinct from the mind, psyche, or purely intellectual faculties.
Venomousadjective: Capable of injecting venom through a bite or sting; highly toxic or characterized by malice.