Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Directed or tending toward a goal or purpose; purposeful.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Noting a final end or purpose. See ecbatic.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Gram.) Denoting the final end or purpose, as distinguished from ecbatic. See ecbatic.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective grammar expressing end or purpose.
  • adjective linguistics perfective aspect.
  • adjective tending towards a goal or definite end.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Greek telikos, from telos, end; see kwel- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the Ancient Greek τελῐκός (telikos, "final"), from τέλος (telos, "end").

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Examples

  • Wonder why they use the word telic as opposed to God?

    Dawkins Misrepresents Konner 2006

  • Wonder why they use the word telic as opposed to God?

    Dawkins Misrepresents Konner 2006

  • Presumably, since society is incapable of "telic" action, the implication is that some benevolent organization (perhaps the Socialist Party?) is required to do so.

    Telic Action and Collective Stupidity: A Rare Jack London Essay 2010

  • I ask you this Rock, how do you suggest those titles should have been phrased to avoid anything someone like you would consider "telic"?

    A Tetrahymena Puzzle 2008

  • Or that any fitness function what-so-ever is "telic" because, for example, survival can be described as a "goal" even though no "purpose" or "intent" is required to meet that goal?

    Deep Homology and Longevity 2008

  • I am inflammatory and satirical, etc., but also smart enough to know the difference between "telic" and "non-telic," Todd Berkebile.

    Deep Homology and Longevity 2008

  • Why do you think that quote from Darwin is "telic" Are you claiming "perfection" is an intelligently selected goal?

    Deep Homology and Longevity 2008

  • Doug writes: "She went from 'telic' to 'intelligent design' to 'creationism' to 'teaching religious doctrine in schools' embarrassingly in record time" – again, something I completely agree with.

    A Case of Mistaken Identity? 2006

  • She went from 'telic' to 'intelligent design' to 'creationism' to 'teaching religious doctrine in schools' embarrassingly in record time.

    A Case of Mistaken Identity? 2006

  • Intelligent Design, if true (of course, it is), would, in the same way, contradict the religion that says that all of life is the result of random processes having no "telic" direction.

    Creationism and Propaganda 2006

  • Kieran Setiya, a professor of philosophy at MIT and the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide – clearly a man with a few missions – has taken a lead from Aristotle to put forward the idea that we need both telic (taken from the Greek word telos, meaning “goal”) activities and atelic activities in our lives.

    No goals: why is it so hard to do something for enjoyment’s sake? Jenny Valentish 2021

Comments

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  • Tending toward a goal; expressing purpose.

    May 20, 2008

  • telic

    Directed or tending toward a goal or purpose; purposeful.

    May 17, 2022