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axiology

/ˌæk.siˈɒl.ə.dʒi/
IELTSAcademic
noun

Axiology is the study of values and what people consider good, important, or worthy. It is used in philosophy and other serious academic writing.

  • Axiology asks what people value most.
  • Her thesis focused on axiology and ethics.
  • The course introduced axiology in simple terms.

Adinary Nuance

Axiology is more specific than value, which can mean price, importance, or usefulness. It is also narrower than ethics, which focuses on right and wrong action. Writers choose axiology when they mean the academic study of values themselves.

In other languages

Vietnamese
học thuyết giá trị
Spanish
axiología
Chinese
价值论
Japanese
価値論
Korean
가치론

Etymology

From Greek axios, meaning “worth,” and -logy, meaning “study of.” The word entered English in the late 19th or early 20th century through philosophy.

Common phrases

axiology of valuessocial axiologymoral axiology

Synonyms

Related words

Frequently asked questions

Is axiology a common word in everyday English?
No. It is mostly used in philosophy, education, and academic writing.
What is the difference between axiology and ethics?
Axiology studies values in general. Ethics studies right and wrong behaviour.
Can I use axiology in business writing?
Usually not, unless you are writing about philosophy, values, or theory.
How do I use axiology in a sentence?
You can say, “Axiology examines what different cultures value.”