te·lic
| \ ˈte-lik
, ˈtē-
\
, ˈtē-
\
Definition of telic
1
: tending toward an end or outcome
2
of verbs
: characterizing an action that moves toward a goal
Other Words from telic
telically
\
ˈte-li-k(ə-)lē
, ˈtē-
\
adverb
, ˈtē-
\
adverb
Learn More About telic
Statistics for telic
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Telic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telic. Accessed 29 Jun. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Which Word Does Not Belong?
-
- Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?
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
Word Games
-
Commonly Confused Words Quiz
Take a (break/brake) and (pore/pour) over this (c...
Take the quiz
-
Words Named After People
Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
Take the quiz
-
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something a...
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share telic
Time Traveler for telic
The first known use of telic was in 1846
See more words from the same year