tel·e·on·o·my
| \ ˌte-lē-ˈä-nə-mē
, ˌtē- \
, ˌtē- \
Definition of teleonomy
: the quality of apparent purposefulness of structure or function in living organisms due to evolutionary adaptation
Other Words from teleonomy
teleonomic
\
ˌte-lē-ə-ˈnä-mik
, ˌtē-
\
adjective
, ˌtē-
\
adjective
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More About teleonomy
Statistics for teleonomy
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Teleonomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teleonomy. Accessed 26 Sep. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for teleonomy
teleonomy
noun
te·le·on·o·my
| \ ˌtel-ē-ˈän-ə-mē
, ˌtēl-
\
, ˌtēl-
\
plural teleonomies
Medical Definition of teleonomy
: the quality of apparent purposefulness of structure or function in living organisms that derives from their evolutionary adaptation
Other Words from teleonomy
teleonomic
\
ˌtel-ē-ə-ˈnäm-ik
, ˌtēl-
\
adjective
, ˌtēl-
\
adjective
Test Your Vocabulary
Dog Words Quiz
-
- Which of the following animals has a dog in its etymology?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share teleonomy
Time Traveler for teleonomy
The first known use of teleonomy was in 1958
See more words from the same year