Methodos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A systematic or established way of doing something based on a set of principles or methods
2. A planned and organized approach to achieving objectives through a defined series of steps or techniques
3. A deliberate procedure employed to solve problems or conduct research, often characterized by logical reasoning and order

Etymology: Ancient Greek "methodos" was built from "meta" ("after" or "along") and "hodos" ("way" or "road"), so its original sense was a pursuit or a way of going after something. Greek writers used it for an inquiry or a chosen course of action, and the idea of a systematic, step-by-step procedure grew out of that literal image of following a road. The English word "method" came in through Latin "methodus", which took it from Greek. Its notion of an orderly sequence arrived early, and "methodical" and "methodology" followed later as English built more terms on the same stem. "Methodology" in particular is a comparatively recent addition, used mostly for the study of methods in research.

Synonyms: method, procedure, process, technique, system