Standard Lemma guide

teleonomy

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˌtɛliˈɒnəmi/
  • rhymes with -ɒnəmi

1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality of living organisms of seeming to be organized towards the attainment of an end.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Qualifier: evolutionary theory

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From teleo- + -nomy. Coined by biologist Colin Pittendrigh in 1958, who wanted to limit the much older term "teleology" to actions planned by an agent who can internally model alternative futures with intention, purpose and foresight.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 目的性 (mùdìxìng) — quality of living organisms
  • Finnish: teleonomia — quality of living organisms