ontological
adjective
on·to·log·i·cal
ˌän-tə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 
1
: of or relating to ontology
an ontological principle
2
: relating to or based upon being or existence
Virtual environments engage millions of people and billions of dollars each year. What is the ontological status of the virtual objects that populate those environments?—
David Leech Anderson
David Leech AndersonExamples of ontological in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These categories aren’t timeless ontological judgments—they’re practical tools that help the government fulfill its duties.
—Paisley Currah, New Yorker, 27 May 2025
But on its own… The Robots explored the emergence of a new entity which is neither human nor merely mechanical, but something third, something that occupies a new ontological space.
—Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
The problem with this approach is that, in a narrative and perhaps ontological sense, cables don’t do anything.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
While cancellation options are available in advance of the other three periods—broadly speaking, advertisers may back out of between 25% and 50% of their Q1, Q2 and Q3 upfront allocations—the ontological status of fall buys is a lot less equivocal.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025
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Paisley Currah, New Yorker, 27 May 2025
But on its own… The Robots explored the emergence of a new entity which is neither human nor merely mechanical, but something third, something that occupies a new ontological space.
—Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
The problem with this approach is that, in a narrative and perhaps ontological sense, cables don’t do anything.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
While cancellation options are available in advance of the other three periods—broadly speaking, advertisers may back out of between 25% and 50% of their Q1, Q2 and Q3 upfront allocations—the ontological status of fall buys is a lot less equivocal.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ontological
Cite this Entry
“Ontological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ontological. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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