Autotelic

/ˈɔːtəˌtɛlɪk/

Synonyms for "autotelic" (4 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (1)

Adjective(1 words)

Strong matches (1)

Adjective(1 words)

Related words (2)

Adjective(1 words)
Adjective(1 words)

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: intrinsic, self-contained, self-motivated, selfsome.
  • Sentence evidence is available for autotelic, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from opengloss, derived_reverse.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "autotelic".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "autotelic"

Keep "autotelic" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "autotelic" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "autotelic", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "autotelic" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

5 relation types

More general

4 entries
descriptive adjectiveintrinsic motivationpsychological traitqualitative property

More specific

5 entries
autotelic activityautotelic experienceautotelic personalityautotelic taskintrinsic task

Collocations

5 entries
autotelic activityautotelic experienceautotelic flowautotelic personalityautotelic task

Inflections

2 entries
more autotelicmost autotelic

Derivations

3 entries

Sample sentences

7 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

1988, Antonella Della Fave, Fausto Massimini, 12: Modernization and the changing contexts in work and leisure, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Isabella Selega Csikszentmihalyi (editors), Optimal Experience: Psychological Studies of Flow in Consciousness, Cambridge University Press, 1992, Paperback, page 208, It is possible that these three people have jobs that are more autotelic than those of the rest of this group; that they have more responsibility, more initiative and challenge at their workplace than is usual for employees of their type.

Source: wiktionary

Chess itself, however – the playing of the game – is most frequently engaged in, as we say, for its own sake, as an autotelic activity rather than as a teleological one. The majority of utterances of a language are teleological, aiming at informing […]

Source: wiktionary

Non-autotelics' intrinsic motivation tends to increase if they devote time and give concentration, attention and energy to EFL tasks; some non-autotelic students become more autotelic if they perceive the activities interesting and important for their future goals; if some of the non-autotelics devote some time and focus their attention on an activity, that activity becomes more autotelic.

Source: wiktionary

1988, Kevin Rathunde, Optimal experience and the family context, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Isabella Selega Csikszentmihalyi (editors), Optimal Experience: Psychological Studies of Flow in Consciousness, 1992, Paperback, Cambridge University Press, page 251, The autotelic score was negatively correlated with the anxiety/ambiguity score r = −.57 and negatively correlated with the boredom/rigidity score r = −.36.

Source: wiktionary

Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "autotelic"?

Closest matches include intrinsic, self-contained, self-motivated, selfsome.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "autotelic"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "autotelic"