synonym
/ˈsɪn.əˌnɪm/ noun, verb
Forms synonyms synonyming synonymed synonime synonyme
- noun (semantics) A term (word or phrase) which is synonymous with others. ““Happy” is a synonym of “glad”.”
- noun (taxonomy, informal) The subset of those names other than the one to be used according to the rules.
- noun (taxonomy, by extension) Any name that has been applied to a taxon other than the one to be used, including those not allowed by the rules such as misspellings or nomina nuda.
- noun (databases) An alternative (often shorter) name defined for an object in a database.
- verb (transitive) To make synonymous.
Synonyms
poecilonym near-synonym parasynonym plesionym synonymum equivalent word
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English sinonyme, from Latin synōnymum, from Ancient Greek συνώνυμον (sunṓnumon), neuter singular form of συνώνυμος (sunṓnumos, “synonymous”), from σύν (sún, “with”) + ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”). By surface analysis, syn- + -onym.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One of two or more words (commonly words of the same language) which are equivalents of each other; one of two or more words which have very nearly the same signification, and therefore may often be used interchangeably. See under Synonymous. [Written also synonyme.]
Etymology [F. synonyme, L. synonyma, pl. of synonymum, Gr. Synonymous.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “synonym”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details