n.
Pronunciation: ˌ te-l ē - ' ä-n ə -m ē , ˌ t ē -
Function: noun
Etymology: teleo- (as in teleology ) + -nomy
Date: 1958
: the quality of apparent purposefulness of structure or function in living organisms due to evolutionary adaptation
– tel · e · o · nom · ic \ ˌ te-l ē - ə - ' nä-mik, ˌ t ē - \ adjective