Entry: ontological (adj.)
In context: "It's no accident that in a bureaucracy getting fired is called 'termination,' as in ontological erasure, and the bureaucrat leaves his supervisor's cubicle duly shaken."
Definition: Of, relating to, or of the nature of ontology; metaphysical; (Theol.) ontological argument n. the argument that God, being defined as the most great or perfect being, must exist, since a God who exists is greater than a God who does not.
Other: The above definition doesn't really work in this usage. A better fit can be found under ontology (n.): The science or study of being; that branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature or essence of being or existence.
Any philosophy students reading this are very welcome to add their thoughts and deepen our understanding of the history, usage, and import of this term.
SNOOT score: 3
Page: 686
Source: Oxford English Dictionary
Definitive Jest is a vocabulary-building and SNOOT-approved word-of-the-day blog centered around David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest.
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