Meaning & Definition of word "Synonym"
Synonym
/ˈsɪnəˌnɪm/
noun:
- 1. A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word.
- Example: The word 'happy' is a synonym for 'joyful'.
- 2. A word that can be substituted for another in a sentence without changing its meaning.
- Example: In this context, 'fast' and 'quick' are synonyms.
- 3. A word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language.
- Example: Thesauruses are useful for finding synonyms.
- 4. A term that can be used to enhance vocabulary by providing alternative expressions.
- Example: Using a synonym can help avoid repetition in writing.
Etymology
●Derived from the Greek 'synonumon', from 'syn-' meaning 'together' and 'onoma' meaning 'name'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
a synonym for:
an alternative term that conveys the same meaning
find a synonym:
to look for a word that has a similar meaning
the synonym of:
the equivalent word for a particular term
Related Words
antonym:
A word that has the opposite meaning.
homonym:
A word that sounds the same as another but has a different meaning.
thesaurus:
A reference source that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning.
Slang Meanings of synonym
Meaning: Word buddy
● Example Sentence: In writing, I often ask my friends for word buddies to avoid repetition.
Meaning: Word twin
● Example Sentence: The word 'cool' has a lot of word twins like 'awesome' and 'dope'.