# ontological

/ˌɑntəˈɫɑdʒɪkəɫ/ (US) · /ˌɒntəlˈɒdʒɪkəl/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ontological
Updated: 2026-09-28

## Definition

relating to what kinds of things exist and how they are categorized in the world.

For teachers: relating to ontology, the philosophical study of being, existence, and the categorical taxonomy of entities; in computer science, pertaining to formal knowledge structures.

## Examples

- Questions about whether virtual characters truly exist are ontological debates.
- Building an enterprise knowledge graph requires making clear ontological commitments about real-world concepts.
- When an agentic system refines its world model, it must maintain ontological coherence across disparate operational contexts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.