ontology

noun

the metaphysical study of the nature of being and existence

(computer science) a rigorous and exhaustive organization of some knowledge domain that is usually hierarchical and contains all the relevant entities and their relations

Roots

ononto- · Greek · being, that which is logos-logy · Greek · study, discourse

Synonyms for ontology

epistemologyn metaphysicsn phenomenologyn gnosiologyadj axiologyn philosophyn

Synonyms & related words for ontology

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of ontology — including epistemology, metaphysics, phenomenology, gnosiology, axiology, philosophy. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to ontology

Explore words related to ontology — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include ontologist, ontological, ontically, ontologism, panlogism, ontologically, ontic, semantic. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for ontology

Common synonyms for ontology include epistemology, metaphysics, phenomenology, gnosiology, axiology, philosophy — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does ontology come from?

The word ontology breaks down into 2 roots of Greek origin: onto, from Greek on (“being, that which is”); and -logy, from Greek logos (“study, discourse”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.