teleological
adjective/ˌtɛliəˈlɑdʒɪkəl/
Frequency rank: #19,634 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)
Meaning
relating to or explaining phenomena by their goals, purposes, or final causes rather than by prior causes.
Example sentence
The philosopher argued that nature follows teleological principles, always moving toward some final purpose.
Synonyms & related words
- purposive
- goal-oriented
- purposeful
- intentional
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