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telos

telos

noun TEH-lohs Rare

Origin: From Ancient Greek telos, meaning 'end' or 'purpose'.

Usage Note

Telos is a Greek-derived philosophical term used in Spanish academic writing to denote the ultimate purpose or final cause of something — the telos of a political institution or an organism. It is invariable in form. Because it is a borrowing, it appears in italics in many Spanish-language texts. Outside philosophy and theology it is rare and would sound pretentious.

Examples

"El telos de la educación es la libertad."

Natural Translation

The telos of education is freedom.

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