ontology
Meanings
Plural: ontologies
Noun
- (computer science) a rigorous and exhaustive organization of some knowledge domain that is usually hierarchical and contains all the relevant entities and their relations
- the metaphysical study of the nature of being and existence
- The branch of metaphysics that addresses the nature or essential characteristics of being and of things that exist; the study of being qua being.
- In a subject view, or a world view, the set of conceptual or material things or classes of things that are recognised as existing, or are assumed to exist in context, and their interrelations; in a body of theory, the ontology comprises the domain of discourse, the things that are defined as existing, together with whatever emerges from their mutual implications.
- The theory of a particular philosopher or school of thought concerning the fundamental types of entity in the universe.
- A logical system involving theory of classes, developed by Stanislaw Lesniewski (1886-1939).
- A structure of concepts or entities within a domain, organized by relationships; a system model.
Origin / Etymology
Learned borrowing from New Latin ontologia (1606, Ogdoas Scholastica, by Jacob Lorhard (Lorhardus), from Ancient Greek ὤν, ὄντος (ṓn, óntos, “being”), present participle of εἰμί (eimí, “being, existing, essence”) + λόγος (lógos, “account”).
First known English use 1663: Archelogia philosophica nova; or, New principles of Philosophy. Containing Philosophy in general, Metaphysicks or Ontology, Dynamilogy or a Discourse of Power, Religio Philosophi or Natural Theology, Physicks or Natural philosophy, by Gideon Harvey (1636–1702), London, Thomson, 1663.
Popularized as a philosophical term by German philosopher Christian Wolff (1679–1754).
Scrabble Score: 12
ontology is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordontology is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
ontology is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary