General Formal Ontology Light (GFO-light)
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General Formal Ontology Light (GFO-light)

This version:
https://w3id.org/gfo-light/release/2025-04-07
Previous version:
https://w3id.org/gfo-light/release/2025-03-17
Revision:
2025-04-07
Authors:
Alexandr Uciteli
Christoph Beger
Frank Loebe
Franz Matthies
Heinrich Herre
Konrad Höffner
Patryk Burek
Ralph Schäfermeier
Download serialization:
JSON-LD RDF/XML N-Triples TTL
License:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Cite as:
Alexandr Uciteli, Christoph Beger, Frank Loebe, Franz Matthies, Heinrich Herre, Konrad Höffner, Patryk Burek, Ralph Schäfermeier. General Formal Ontology Light (GFO-light). Revision: 2025-04-07. Retrieved from: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/release/2025-04-07
DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.14833002
Vocabulary maintained at:
https://github.com/Onto-Med/gfo-light
Provenance of this page
Ontology Specification Draft

Table of contents

GFO-light: Overview back to ToC

This ontology has the following classes and properties.

Classes

Object Properties

Annotation Properties

GFO-light: Description back to ToC

GFO-light contains some simplifications compared to the full version of General Formal Ontology (GFO) and is designed as a framework for the efficient development and foundation of domain/application ontologies.

Cross-reference for GFO-light classes, object properties and data properties back to ToC

This section provides details for each class and property defined by GFO-light.

Classes

Cohesive processc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/CohesiveProcess

A cohesive process is a causally and temporally connected process.

Example 
A treatment of a patient in a hospital
Football match
The course of an illness
The first half of the match
has super-classes
Process c

Cohesive situationc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/CohesiveSituation

A cohesive situation is a causally and temporally connected situation.

Example 
A risk situation when treating a patient in hospital if his laboratory values (qualities) are in the critical range over a certain period of time
The situation after the wedding of John and Mary (i.e., the situation in which they are married containing the marriage relator with a husband and a wife role)
The situation at the end of a football match containing players' qualities (e.g., number of goals or assists), teams' qualities (e.g., number of goals or ball possession) and a winner-loser relator with one team playing the winner role and the other team playing the loser role
has super-classes
Situation c

Information objectc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/InformationObject

Information objects are symbolic entities that denote/designate, describe, specify or represent other entities.

Example 
Computer programme
Description
Diagram
Model
Title
has super-classes
Object c
is in domain of
represents op
is in range of
represented by op

Linec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Line

Lines are not necessarily straight. They can be, for example, curves or broken lines that pass through various points and form a corner, a triangle or a polygon.

A line is a 1-dimensional object boundary.

Example 
Boundary line of the football field
Longitudinal axis of the human skeleton
has super-classes
Object boundary c
is in domain of
has boundary op, spatially passes through op
is in range of
boundary of op

Objectc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object

Objects are social or material entities that can exist independently of each other.

Example 
Bone
Chopstick
Computer
Person
has super-classes
Continuant c
has sub-classes
Information object c
is in domain of
contains role op, has boundary op, located in op, location of op, member of op, owner of op
is in range of
boundary of op, has member op, has owner op, located in op, location of op, role in op

Object aggregatec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate

Object aggregates are groups of objects that together form a unit.

Example 
Research group
Sports team
has super-classes
Continuant c
is in domain of
contains role op, has member op, member of op
is in range of
has member op, member of op, role in op

Object boundaryc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectBoundary

Object boundaries are 0-, 1-, or 2-dimensional (visible or imaginary) entities (i.e., points, lines and surfaces) that border objects (natural boundaries) or are located inside them (inner boundaries).

has super-classes
Continuant c
has sub-classes
Line c, Point c, Surface c
is in domain of
boundary of op, has owner op
is in range of
has boundary op, owner of op

Object partc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectPart

Object parts are material entities that cannot exist independently of the corresponding whole object.

Example 
Part of a bone
Part of a chopstick
has super-classes
Continuant c

Pointc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Point

A point is a 0-dimensional object boundary.

Example 
Gonion
Penalty spot
has super-classes
Object boundary c

Process aggregatec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessAggregate

A process aggregate is a process that consists of other contextually but not necessarily temporally interconnected processes.

Example 
A football league season, consisting of all matches
A series of lectures in a semester
has super-classes
Process c
is in domain of
has member op
is in range of
member of op

Qualityc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Quality

Qualities can possess values.

Qualities are attributives that typically inhere in its bearer.

Example 
Observable or measurable characteristics of single objects, e.g., persons, (such as weight and height, laboratory parameters or symptoms)
Qualities of object groups (e.g., goals scored by a football team in a match)
Qualities of processes (e.g., the number of spectators as quality of a football match)
has super-classes
Attributive c
is in domain of
quality of op
is in range of
has quality op

Relatorc back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Relator

A relator represents an individual relation instance.

Relators are attributives that connect other entities (role players) by relational roles (played by role players).

Example 
A relator describing the relative location of an object (playing the target object role) in relation to another object (playing the reference object role), e.g., the location of a person relative to the city centre or the location of an anatomical structure relative to the longitudinal axis
A winner-loser relator connecting a winner and a loser team by a winner and a loser role
The marriage (relator) of John and Mary (in which Mary plays the wife role and John the husband role)
has super-classes
Attributive c
is in domain of
contains role op, relates op
is in range of
related by op, role in op

Rolec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Role

An object part can play a (e.g., functional) role in the whole object (e.g., the processor is part of the computer and has the task/function/role to process commands). A member (object) of a social group (object aggregate) can play a social role in that group (e.g., John is member of the football team and plays the role of midfielder). Objects can play processual or situational roles in processes (e.g., team A plays the home team role and team B plays the visiting team role in a football match) or situations (e.g., scorer and assistant role in a goal situation or roles played by a doctor and a patient in a risk/adverse situation in hospital) in which they participate. Objects can play relational roles in a relation/relator (e.g., wife role and husband role of the marriage relator).

A role is a relational entity that links a continuant (role player) with some context (object, object aggregate, processual entity, situational entity, relator), in which the continuant plays that role.

Example 
John is member of the football team and plays the role of midfielder.
Roles played by a doctor and a patient in a risk/adverse situation in hospital
Target object role and reference object role of a relative location relator (describes the relative location of an object playing the target object role in relation to another object playing the reference object role)
Team A plays the home team role and team B plays the visiting team role in a football match.
The processor is part of the computer and has the task/function/role to process commands.
Wife role and husband role of the marriage relator
Winner team role and loser team role of the winner-loser relator
has super-classes
Attributive c
is in domain of
played by op, role in op
is in range of
contains role op, plays op

Situation aggregatec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationAggregate

A situation aggregate is a situation that consists of other contextually but not necessarily temporally interconnected situations.

Example 
A situation of increased temperature during the course of an illness, consisting of all not necessarily temporally connected phases
has super-classes
Situation c
is in domain of
has member op
is in range of
member of op

Surfacec back to ToC or Class ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Surface

A surface is a 2-dimensional object boundary.

Example 
Frontal plane of the human skeleton
Surface of the football field
has super-classes
Object boundary c
is in domain of
has boundary op, spatially passes through op
is in range of
boundary of op

Object Properties

boundary ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/boundaryOf

has sub-properties
inner boundary of op, natural boundary of op
has domain
Object boundary c
has range
Line c or Object c or Surface c
is inverse of
has boundary op

contains roleop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/containsRole

has domain
Process c or Situation c or Object c or Object aggregate c or Relator c
has range
Role c
is inverse of
role in op

has boundaryop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasBoundary

has sub-properties
has inner boundary op, has natural boundary op
has domain
Line c or Object c or Surface c
has range
Object boundary c
is inverse of
boundary of op

has inner boundaryop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasInnerBoundary

has super-properties
has boundary op
is inverse of
inner boundary of op

has memberop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasMember

has domain
Object aggregate c or Process aggregate c or Situation aggregate c
has range
Process c or Situation c or Object c or Object aggregate c
is inverse of
member of op

has natural boundaryop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasNaturalBoundary

has super-properties
has boundary op
is inverse of
natural boundary of op

has ownerop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasOwner

has domain
Object boundary c
has range
Object c
is inverse of
owner of op

has qualityop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasQuality

has super-properties
has Attributive op
has range
Quality c
is inverse of
quality of op

inner boundary ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/innerBoundaryOf

has super-properties
boundary of op
is inverse of
has inner boundary op

located inop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/locatedIn

Material objects can be located in other material objects (locatedIn, e.g., the driver is located in the car).

has domain
Process c or Situation c or Object c
has range
Object c
is inverse of
location of op

location ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/locationOf

has domain
Object c
has range
Process c or Situation c or Object c
is inverse of
located in op

member ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/memberOf

has domain
Process c or Situation c or Object c or Object aggregate c
has range
Object aggregate c or Process aggregate c or Situation aggregate c
is inverse of
has member op

natural boundary ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/naturalBoundaryOf

has super-properties
boundary of op
is inverse of
has natural boundary op

owner ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ownerOf

has domain
Object c
has range
Object boundary c
is inverse of
has owner op

played byop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/playedBy

has super-properties
attributive Of op
has domain
Role c
is inverse of
plays op

playsop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/plays

has super-properties
has Attributive op
has range
Role c
is inverse of
played by op

quality ofop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/qualityOf

has super-properties
attributive Of op
has domain
Quality c
is inverse of
has quality op

related byop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/relatedBy

has super-properties
has Attributive op
has range
Relator c
is inverse of
relates op

relatesop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/relates

has super-properties
attributive Of op
has domain
Relator c
is inverse of
related by op

represented byop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/representedBy

has domain
Entity c
has range
Information object c
is inverse of
represents op

representsop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/represents

has domain
Information object c
has range
Entity c
is inverse of
represented by op

role inop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/roleIn

has domain
Role c
has range
Process c or Situation c or Object c or Object aggregate c or Relator c
is inverse of
contains role op

spatially ends onop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/spatiallyEndsOn

has super-properties
spatially passes through op

spatially passes throughop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/spatiallyPassesThrough

has sub-properties
spatially ends on op, spatially starts on op
has domain
Line c or Surface c
has range
Continuant c

spatially starts onop back to ToC or Object Property ToC

IRI: https://w3id.org/gfo-light/spatiallyStartsOn

has super-properties
spatially passes through op

Annotation Properties

alt Labelap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#altLabel

commentap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#comment

createdap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/created

creatorap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/creator

definitionap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#definition

descriptionap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/description

doiap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/ontology/bibo/doi

exampleap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#example

homepageap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/homepage

licenseap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/terms/license

modifiedap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/modified

preferred Namespace Prefixap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/vocab/vann/preferredNamespacePrefix

preferred Namespace U R Iap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/vocab/vann/preferredNamespaceURI

repositoryap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://usefulinc.com/ns/doap#repository

titleap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/title

version Infoap back to ToC or Annotation Property ToC

IRI: http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#versionInfo

Legend back to ToC

c: Classes
op: Object Properties

Changes from last version

Classes

Modified classes
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/InformationObject
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Continuant
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Continuant
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectBoundary
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Continuant
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectPart
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Continuant
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessAggregate
    • Added: "A process aggregate is a process that consists of other contextually but not necessarily temporally interconnected processes."@en
    • Added: "A football league season, consisting of all matches"@en
    • Added: "A series of lectures in a semester"@en
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Process
    • Deleted: "Series of lectures in a semester"@en
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessualEntity
    • Deleted: "All football matches in a league season"@en
    • Deleted: "Process aggregates are sets of processes that are contextually related but not temporally connected."@en
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Quality
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Attributive
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Attributive
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Relator
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Attributive
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Attributive
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Role
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Attributive
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Attributive
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationAggregate
    • Added: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Situation
    • Added: "A situation aggregate is a situation that consists of other contextually but not necessarily temporally interconnected situations."@en
    • Added: "A situation of increased temperature during the course of an illness, consisting of all not necessarily temporally connected phases"@en
    • Deleted: "All phases of increased temperature in the course of an illness"@en
    • Deleted: "Situation aggregates are sets of situations that are contextually related but not temporally connected."@en
    • Deleted: SubClass of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationalEntity
Added classes
Deleted classes

Object Properties

Modified object properties
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/containsRole
    • Added: domain Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Process, https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Situation, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Relator)
    • Deleted: domain Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessualEntity, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Relator, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationalEntity)
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasMember
    • Added: Range Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Process, https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Situation, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate)
    • Deleted: Range Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessualEntity, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationalEntity)
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasQuality
    • Added: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/hasAttributive
    • Deleted: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasAttributive
    • Deleted: domain https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Individual
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/locatedIn
    • Added: domain Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Process, https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Situation, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object)
    • Deleted: domain Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessualEntity, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationalEntity)
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/locationOf
    • Added: Range Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Process, https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Situation, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object)
    • Deleted: Range Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessualEntity, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationalEntity)
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/memberOf
    • Added: domain Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Process, https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Situation, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate)
    • Deleted: domain Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessualEntity, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationalEntity)
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/playedBy
    • Added: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/attributiveOf
    • Deleted: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/attributiveOf
    • Deleted: Range https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/plays
    • Added: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/hasAttributive
    • Deleted: domain https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
    • Deleted: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasAttributive
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/qualityOf
    • Added: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/attributiveOf
    • Deleted: Range https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Individual
    • Deleted: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/attributiveOf
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/relatedBy
    • Added: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/hasAttributive
    • Deleted: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/hasAttributive
    • Deleted: domain https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/relates
    • Added: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-core/attributiveOf
    • Deleted: Range https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
    • Deleted: SubProperty of https://w3id.org/gfo-light/attributiveOf
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/representedBy
    • Added: domain https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Entity
    • Deleted: domain https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Entity
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/represents
    • Added: Range https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Entity
    • Deleted: Range https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Entity
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/roleIn
    • Added: Range Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Process, https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Situation, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Relator)
    • Deleted: Range Union of (https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Object, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ObjectAggregate, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/ProcessualEntity, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Relator, https://w3id.org/gfo-light/SituationalEntity)
  • https://w3id.org/gfo-light/spatiallyPassesThrough
    • Added: Range https://w3id.org/gfo-core/Continuant
    • Deleted: Range https://w3id.org/gfo-light/Continuant
Added object properties
Deleted object properties

Data Properties

Deleted data properties

Acknowledgments back to ToC

The authors would like to thank Silvio Peroni for developing LODE, a Live OWL Documentation Environment, which is used for representing the Cross Referencing Section of this document and Daniel Garijo for developing Widoco, the program used to create the template used in this documentation.