# teleology

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌtiː.liˈɒ.lə.dʒi/

## Definitions
1. The study of the purpose or design of natural occurrences.
2. An instance of such a design or purpose, usually in natural phenomena.
3. The use of a purpose or design rather than the laws of nature to explain an occurrence.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek τέλος (télos, “purpose”), genitive τέλεος (téleos), and λόγος (lógos, “word, speech, discourse”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/teleology