typology
/tʌɪˈpɒlədʒi
/noun (plural typologies)
1A classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology, or the social sciences: a typology of Saxon cremation vessels...
- Pavlov and his colleagues made life-long efforts to blend both behavioural and psychophysiological observations into typologies.
- The important thing to recognize is that because typologies and resultant classification schema are imposed on the data set, their validity can only be determined by their usefulness.
- Classification schemes or typologies that use acculturation and indicators of family functioning may prove to be useful screening mechanisms for guiding prenatal care intervention strategies.
1.1 [mass noun] Study or analysis using a classification according to a general type.Building on the work of Feagin, Phinney and Chavira formulated an empirically derived typology of ethnic minority adolescents' responses to racial discrimination....
- Initially his analysis was done on the basis of artefact typology.
- In Dr. Budd's typology, the ‘Science’ of yesteryear has been relegated to the category of ‘Sentiment.’
2 [mass noun] The study and interpretation of types and symbols, originally especially in the Bible.Worship now, Jesus says, is in spirit and truth, the internals of motive, intensity, and sincerity replacing the external symbols and typology that previously existed....
- He used typology and symbols in the furnishings of the tabernacle, the 7 feast days, as well as people.
- Above all, this question can no longer be interpreted through typology.
Derivatives
typological
- Yet there is no consensus on the presence of Clovis bifaces in the Midwest or their typological affinities to Gainey bifaces.
- To the extent that we continue to use continental-scale fluted-biface compilations, we also must control for typological differences among primary sources and the different numbers of bifaces that they yield.
- This brief 8-item questionnaire has been validated by applying a method for distinguishing typological from dimensional constructs (taxometric analysis).
typologist
- Led by the school's antebellum dean, the prominent physician and racial typologist Josiah Nott, white people fought tenaciously to have the school restored to its prewar status.
- These people are typologists, and for them every member of a race has all the actual and imaginary characteristics of that race.
- The thing I cannot understand is how American typologists arrived at the belief in his extraversion.
Origin
Mid 19th century (in sense 2): from Greek tupos 'type' + -logy.