Defined scope
- Entity classes
- Properties
- Relations
- Constraints
- Shared domain meaning
- Semantic interoperability
CONCEPT
Ontology
In knowledge engineering, an ontology is an explicit specification of the kinds of entities, properties, relationships and constraints used to represent a domain.
Ontologies make domain meaning explicit and interoperable, while taxonomies organize concepts primarily through classification and hierarchy.
active
research
EDITORIAL FRAME
What this entry establishes.
A concise view of its scope, position, limitations and supporting sources.
Editorial position
- Ontologies should formalize distinctions that produce real retrieval, validation or interoperability value.
- Lightweight vocabularies are often more sustainable than premature formal complexity.
Explicit limits
- A list of tags with no defined meaning
- A navigation menu presented as a complete model of a domain
Tags and disciplines
OntologyTaxonomySKOSOWLControlled VocabularyKnowledge SystemsInformation ArchitecturePhilosophySemantic Web
References behind this page
- OWL 2 Web Ontology Language Document Overview W3C / 2012-12-11
- SKOS Simple Knowledge Organization System Reference W3C / 2009-08-18
Definition
An ontology specifies what kinds of things exist in a modeled domain and how statements about them can be formed. In formal systems it can define classes, properties, individuals, constraints and inference rules.
Difference from taxonomy
A taxonomy primarily classifies concepts, often through broader and narrower categories. A thesaurus adds preferred labels, synonyms and associative relations. A folksonomy emerges from user-created tags. An ontology can include classification but also expresses richer domain semantics.
Electronic Artefacts position
Electronic Artefacts uses a pragmatic entity and predicate vocabulary. The goal is not maximum formalism. It is enough explicit meaning to validate records, generate pages, publish JSON-LD and preserve relations over time.
Limitations
Ontologies can become expensive, politically narrow or disconnected from use. The model should evolve from real questions and records, with versioning and mappings when terms change.
References
See W3C OWL 2, W3C SKOS, Knowledge Graph, Linked Data and Metadata.
DOCUMENTED RELATIONSHIPS
Connected work and ideas.
Each link names the relationship between two entries and why it matters.
Ontologies, Taxonomies and Knowledge Modeling
Ontologies, Taxonomies and Knowledge Modeling documents ontology and vocabulary distinctions.
Vestiges
Vestiges applies ontology design to people, techniques, materials, institutions and cultural relations.
Knowledge Hub Third Wave
Ontology is an explicit member of the Knowledge Hub Third Wave collection.
Record details Metadata, sharing and citation
Ontology
Cite this page
Ontology. 1.0.0. Electronic Artefacts, 2026-06-24. https://electronicartefacts.com/knowledge/concepts/ontology/
Nearby relationships
3 public links connect this page to nearby projects, concepts and references.