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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Use Ontologies And Knowledge Graphs For Traceability Implementing an ontology ensures AI becomes more efficient and accurate, has fewer hallucinations, and comes with traceability. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 The work in that book was surreal and stealthily philosophical—its opening poem was a fifteen-page meditation on the ontology of Popeye the Sailor Man—but impersonal. Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 This time, Sumner elevated his speech to a higher level of abstraction to propound on the historical meaning and ontology of the Civil War. Zaakir Tameez june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 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 30 Sep. 2025.

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