teleonomy

noun

tel·​e·​on·​o·​my ˌte-lē-ˈä-nə-mē How to pronounce teleonomy (audio) ˌtē- How to pronounce teleonomy (audio)
: the quality of apparent purposefulness of structure or function in living organisms due to evolutionary adaptation
teleonomic
ˌte-lē-ə-ˈnä-mik How to pronounce teleonomy (audio) ˌtē- How to pronounce teleonomy (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

teleo- (as in teleology) + -nomy

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teleonomy was in 1958

Dictionary Entries Near teleonomy

teleomitosis

teleonomy

teleoptile

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Teleonomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teleonomy. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

teleonomy

noun
te·​le·​on·​o·​my ˌtel-ē-ˈän-ə-mē How to pronounce teleonomy (audio) ˌtēl- How to pronounce teleonomy (audio)
plural teleonomies
: the quality of apparent purposefulness of structure or function in living organisms that derives from their evolutionary adaptation
teleonomic
ˌtel-ē-ə-ˈnäm-ik How to pronounce teleonomy (audio) ˌtēl- How to pronounce teleonomy (audio)
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...