ontology

C2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ɑnˈtɑlədʒi/ UK /ɒnˈtɒlədʒi/ See IPA manual

Freq #142242

Meanings

1

noun
the branch of metaphysics concerned with being, existence, and the fundamental kinds of things that exist

The seminar compared Aristotle's ontology with modern theories of objects and properties.
2

noun
a formal representation of the entities, categories, properties, and relationships in a field of knowledge

The research team built an ontology linking diseases, symptoms, and treatments.
3

noun
the set of things a theory or worldview assumes to exist

The theory's ontology includes events and processes as well as physical objects.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the branch of metaphysics... theory of beingmetaphysics of existence

2 noun · a formal representation of... knowledge modelconceptual schema

3 noun · the set of things a theory... domain of entities

Word family

Derived forms ontologicalontologistontologize

Related forms onticmetaphysics epistemologytaxonomy

Etymology

From New Latin ontologia, coined from Greek on, ontos ('being,' the participle of einai, 'to be') + -logia ('study, account'). The computing sense arose when knowledge engineering adopted the philosophical term for explicit models of what exists in a domain.

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# ontology

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɑnˈtɑlədʒi/
**IPA (UK):** /ɒnˈtɒlədʒi/
**Frequency rank:** 142242

## Meanings
1. the branch of metaphysics concerned with being, existence, and the fundamental kinds of things that exist
2. a formal representation of the entities, categories, properties, and relationships in a field of knowledge
3. the set of things a theory or worldview assumes to exist

## Examples
- The seminar compared Aristotle's ontology with modern theories of objects and properties.
- The research team built an ontology linking diseases, symptoms, and treatments.
- The theory's ontology includes events and processes as well as physical objects.

## Synonyms
- theory of being
- knowledge model
- conceptual schema

## Derived Forms
- ontological
- ontologist
- ontologize

## Related Forms
- ontic
- metaphysics
- epistemology
- taxonomy

## Etymology
From New Latin ontologia, coined from Greek on, ontos ('being,' the participle of einai, 'to be') + -logia ('study, account'). The computing sense arose when knowledge engineering adopted the philosophical term for explicit models of what exists in a domain.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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