ontology

noun

on·​tol·​o·​gy än-ˈtä-lə-jē How to pronounce ontology (audio)
1
: a branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature and relations of being
Ontology deals with abstract entities.
2
: a particular theory about the nature of being or the kinds of things that have existence
ontologist noun

Examples of ontology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The simple answer is knowledge graphs, ontologies and context engines combined with connectors. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025 But the very ontology of your album is a slap in the face to the two-minute pop song. Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2025 Creating Knowledge Graphs and Semantic Layers Achanta is particularly focused on creating rich ontologies and knowledge graphs that can enable reasoning at scale. Peter High, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025 The very title of the exhibition, the first Conceptualist project to use photocopy as a medium, signals a deliberate equivocation over nothing less than the ontology of the art object. Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ontology

Word History

Etymology

New Latin ontologia, from ont- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ontology was in 1663

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Cite this Entry

“Ontology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ontology. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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