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TELEOLOGY
Definition of TELEOLOGY
noun
The study of the design or final purpose of natural occurrences, that is, of such occurrences being the result of intention instead of prior causes. Design, final purpose, or intention in a natural occurrence; an assertion or instance of this.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
Partly borrowed from French téléologie and from German Teleologie + English -logy (suffix denoting a branch of learning or study of a particular subject). Téléologie and Teleologie are both derived from Late Latin teleologia, from Ancient Greek τέλεος (téleos) (the genitive singular of τέλος (télos, “final cause, purpose”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to turn end-over-end; to revolve around, hence, to dwell, sojourn”)) + Latin -logia (suffix denoting the logical discourse or study of a subject) (from Ancient Greek -λογῐ́ᾱ (-logĭ́ā, suffix denoting a branch of learning or study of a particular subject), from λόγος (lógos, “that which is said or thought; subject matter”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”)) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns)). By surface analysis, teleo- (prefix meaning ‘end, goal, purpose’) + -logy.
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
5 recorded generations before English.
Deepest traced root
3rd
of 59 source languages in OUTLIER
9.1%
of traced words share this origin (2,408)
How it is built
Every Proto-Indo-European word → · The Word DNA of OUTLIER →
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
TELEOLOGY in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 1 board so far.
It first turned up on Day 131, 28 September 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 1 day.
First ever to find it
on Day 131, 28 September 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
TELEOLOGY starts with T and ends with Y. Sorted, its letters read EEGLLOOTY - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. E, L and O appear more than once.
Words that start TELEOL
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Could you have found TELEOLOGY?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 131 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER