Ontology
noun /ɒnˈtɒl.ə.dʒi/ — The philosophical study of being and existence
Definition
The branch of metaphysics that concerns itself with the nature of being and existence — what kinds of things exist, and what it means to exist at all.
Beyond the definition
The deepest possible question. Ontology asks not 'what is this?' but 'what does it mean for anything to be at all?'
Origin & history
From Greek 'ontos' (being, existence), genitive of 'einai' (to be) + 'logia' (study). Coined in the 17th century to name a discipline philosophy had always practiced.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The novel raised ontological questions: was the narrator real within the story's own logic?
His ontology was materialist — he believed that only physical things truly existed.
Once you start asking ontological questions, everything else becomes temporarily less urgent.
Synonyms
metaphysics, philosophy of being, existence theory
Related words
Ontology vs metaphysics
Ontology is a specific branch within the broader field of metaphysics. Metaphysics encompasses all study of ultimate reality, including time, space, causality, and existence.
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Cells and neurons magnified
A conceptual circular view shows simple cells with nuclei and a branching neuron against a pale background.
This illustration examines the nature of basic biological units. By showing the building blocks of life, it invites reflection on the fundamental nature of existence—what defines a living thing and what it means to be at the microscopic level.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration