turtles all the way down

noun

A situation of infinite regress; a circular explanation or model.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounturtles all the way down pl (plural only)
  1. colloquialpluralplural onlyA situation of infinite regress; a circular explanation or model.

Origin

From a supposed explanation of what supports the World Turtle that supports the planet Earth.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

turtles all the way down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turtles%20all%20the%20way%20down

MLA

“turtles all the way down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turtles%20all%20the%20way%20down. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turtles all the way down,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turtles%20all%20the%20way%20down.

Source: turtles all the way down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.