synonymy
noun/sɪˈnɒnəmi/
Etymology From French synonymie and its etymon Late Latin synōnymia, from Ancient Greek συνωνυμία (sunōnumía), from συνώνυμος (sunṓnumos, “of like name”) + -ία (-ía, abstract noun suffix). By surface analysis, synonym + -y or syn- + -onymy. Doublet of synonymia.
7 senses
- 1A certain degree of similarity between the meaning(s) of…
- 2A list or collection of synonyms, often compared and contrasted.
- 3The use of synonyms to clarify or explain one's meaning.
- 4The study of synonyms.
- 5A system of synonyms.
- 6The state of not being the name to be used, of being a synonym.
- 7A group or list of synonyms.
1
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences, Semantics A certain degree of similarity between the meaning(s) of several (synonymous) words or phrases. (See Usage notes below.)
2
A list or collection of synonyms, often compared and contrasted.
3
Rhetoric The use of synonyms to clarify or explain one's meaning.
4
The study of synonyms.
5
A system of synonyms.
6
Biology, Natural sciences, Taxonomy The state of not being the name to be used, of being a synonym.
- sink into synonymy
- In 1924 this name was reduced to synonymy.
- The synonymy of Tachina is extensive.
- Descriptions are followed by a synonymy of the names that have been applied in the literature .
- Derived terms
- desynonymy, hypersynonymy