telos

[tel-os, tee-los] /ˈtɛl ɒs, ˈti lɒs/

noun, plural teloi

[tel-oi, tee-loi] /ˈtɛl ɔɪ, ˈti lɔɪ/ (Show IPA)

the end term of a goal-directed process; especially, the Aristotelian final cause.

Origin

1900-05; < Greek télos; cf. tele-²

Examples from the web for telos

They must debate the telos, or ultimate purpose, of marital unions.
There's nothing worse than a product that has reached its telos, its design endpoint.
The ideas of social progress and telos go hand in hand.

Word Origin and History for telos

1904, from Greek telos "the end" (see tele-).

telos in Technology

1. The LeLisp Version 16 Object System. Also used in EuLisp. The object-oriented core of EuLisp. Incorporates ideas from CLOS, ObjVLisp and OakLisp. Total merging of types with classes and message-passing with normal function application.
2. A Pascal-based AI language.
["Design Rationale for TELOS, a Pascal-based AI Language", Travis et al, SIGPLAN Notices 12(8) (Aug 1977)].