Entelechy

/ɛnˈtɛləki/

Synonyms for "entelechy" (26 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (6)

Strong matches (7)

Noun(3 words)
driving forcefulfillmentinner principle

Related words (13)

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: actuality, actualization, being, body, creature.
  • Sentence evidence is available for entelechy, 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 "entelechy".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "entelechy"

Keep "entelechy" 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 "entelechy" 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 "entelechy", 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 "entelechy" 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

6 entries
actualityconceptmetaphysical conceptphilosophical termteleology termtheoretical term

More specific

6 entries
actual formcompleted formimmanent endinner forminner telosrealized potential

Collocations

6 entries
Aristotelian entelechyconcept of entelechydriving forceinner forminner telostelic drive

Inflections

1 entries

Derivations

2 entries

Translations

14 translations across 14 languages.

Powered by Wiktionary

Catalan

1 entries
  • entelèquia noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Czech

1 entries
  • entelechie noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Dutch

1 entries
  • entelechie noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Estonian

1 entries
  • entelehhia noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Finnish

1 entries
  • entelekia noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

French

1 entries
  • entéléchie noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

German

1 entries
  • Entelechie noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Italian

1 entries
  • entelechia noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Korean

1 entries
  • 엔텔레키 noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Macedonian

1 entries
  • ентеле́хија noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Portuguese

1 entries
  • entelequia noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Sicilian

1 entries
  • ntilichìa noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Spanish

1 entries
  • entelequia noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Swedish

1 entries
  • enteleki noun (complete realisation and final form of some potential concept or function)

Sample sentences

11 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

[Pages 114–115] [H]e [Aristotle] tells us expressly, that that which we call the rational soul is […] 'separable from the body,' […] 'because it is not the entelech of any body.' […] [page 500] Wickedness is the form and entelech of all the wicked spirits: it is the difference of a name, rather than any proper difference of natures that is between the devil and wicked men.

Source: wiktionary

Act, as we have already emphasized, is also called by Aristotle an entelechy. […] [A]ct and entelechy bespeak something fulfilled, actualized perfection, or the actualized. The soul, hence, insofar as it is essence or form of the body, is the act and entelechy of the body; and in general all forms of sensible substances are act and entelechy. God, we will see, will be pure entelechy (and just as the other movent Intelligences of the celestial spheres).

Source: wiktionary

Simply put, entelechy is any process that has a beginning, middle, and end. The end or goal is the telos; it shows up as the second syllable of the word en-TEL-echy. A simple natural entelechy is the corn entelechy. A kernel of corn when planted begins an entelechy. That is, a process of growth begins as the kernel/seed sprouts roots, then a blade. The growth process continues until it reaches its telos. Its telos is the completion of the process and the resulting production of brand new kernels that look very much like the kernel that began this process. Once that telos or goal has been reached, we say that the process is complete or perfect or teleios. But then what happens? A new entelechy begins. Each of those kernels that were produced in the previous entelechy begins to sprout and produces its own entelechy. In other words, entelechies are often cyclical.

Source: wiktionary

But while these forces of chance work both in organic and in inorganic nature, there is an additional principle in organic (living) nature: an organizing principle or entelechie.

Source: wiktionary

Showing 4 of 11 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "entelechy"?

Closest matches include actuality, actualization, being, body, creature.

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

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 "entelechy"