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
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 24 May. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
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
Eponyms: Words Named After People
-
- What is the best definition of boycott?
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
-
You're (Probably) Saying It Wrong
18 words even you might be mispronouncing
-
Great Big List of Beautiful & Useless Words
Along with their degrees of usefulness
-
12 French Phrases from Downton Abbey
Many of us have an 'idée fixe'
-
Rare and Amusing Insults, Volume 2
Sometimes a 'cacafuego' can be a real 'slubberdeg...
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
The Great British Vocabulary Quiz
Make sure you know the difference between a loo a...
Take the quiz
-
Face Your Fears
Don't be scared to answer these questions about f...
Take the quiz
-
Yearbook Superlatives Quiz
"Most Likely to Use Obscure Words"
Take the quiz
-
Lexigo
Find the hidden words by solving the clues
Take the quiz
Share teleonomy
Time Traveler for teleonomy
The first known use of teleonomy was in 1958
See more words from the same year