ontological argument

noun

: an argument for the existence of God based upon the meaning of the term God

Examples of ontological argument in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gödel’s Proof, which is way beyond the powers of an English major to decode, wasn’t an attempt to convert atheists and agnostics into devout theists—presumably that was the goal of St. Anselm, who wrote what is considered the first ontological argument. Steven Levy, Wired, 22 Oct. 2021 The very first step in the ontological argument rests on a naive construal of ordinary language, and the chain is no stronger than its weakest link. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2011 So here is one formalization of the ontological argument, taken from a very nice exposition by Peter Suber. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2011 That kind of ontological argument might be a hard sell for some Americans. David Marchesephotograph By Christopher Anderson/magnum, For The New York Times, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2022 April 27, 2020 There will surely be many disagreements about which titles are and are not included, some of which may lead us into tortured ontological arguments about what constitutes a summer movie in the first place. Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2020

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Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ontological argument was in 1877

Dictionary Entries Near ontological argument

Cite this Entry

“Ontological argument.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ontological%20argument. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

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