ontologically
Concerning being itself
Ontologically means with respect to being, existence, or fundamental nature.
The term belongs to philosophy: Ontologically, numbers exist independently of human minds.
When someone asks what something is ontologically, they're asking about its deepest category of existence—whether it's real, abstract, physical, mental, or something else entirely.
Fundamental nature of something
- existenceState of being real
- entityIndependent existing thing
- substancePhysical material with mass
- realityWhat actually exists
nature · quiddity · identity · selfhood · inherence · actuality · presence · becoming
Doctrine of fixed natures
- realismAccepting things as they are
- nominalismUniversals exist as labels only
- conceptualismUniversals as mental constructs
- dualismPhilosophy of opposed pairs
monism · pluralism · existentialism · materialism · idealism · physicalism · naturalism · Platonism
Philosophy of existence's nature
- substancePhysical material with mass
- essenceFundamental nature of something
- fundamentalForming the base
- realityWhat actually exists
principle · abstract · universal · phenomenon · a priori · transcendental · necessary · contingent
essence
Fundamental nature of something
reality · nature · quiddity · identity · selfhood · inherence · actuality · presence · becoming · individuality
essentialism
Doctrine of fixed natures
- realismAccepting things as they are
- nominalismUniversals exist as labels only
- conceptualismUniversals as mental constructs
dualism · monism · pluralism · existentialism · materialism · idealism · physicalism · naturalism · Platonism · Aristotelianism
metaphysics
Philosophy of existence's nature
- substancePhysical material with mass
- essenceFundamental nature of something
- fundamentalForming the base
reality · principle · abstract · universal · phenomenon · a priori · transcendental · necessary · contingent · modal
category
A class of things
- universalAffecting all equally
- particularSpecific or fussy
- propertySomething owned or inherent
relation · attribute · predicate · class · kind · type · genus · species · mode · accident
- philosophy adverbslogically, rationally, ethically, morally, metaphysically
ontologicallyethically
With moral correctness
logically · semantically · aesthetically · methodologically · deontologically
ontologicallyphenomenally
In remarkable fashion
apparently · superficially · perceptually · seemingly · nominally
ontologicallyempirically
Through direct observation
practically · pragmatically · phenomenally · experientially · observationally