teleonomy: Meaning and Definition of

tel•e•on•o•my

Pronunciation: (tel"ē-on'u-mē, tē"lē-), [key]
  1. the principle that the body's structures and functions serve an overall purpose, as in assuring the survival of the organism.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.