MEANING
1. Having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or expression in a particular context.
2. So closely associated with something that mentioning one readily brings the other to mind.
Use it for
checking whether two terms really mean the same thing; challenging an unjustified substitution of concepts; distinguishing overlapping meanings from exact equivalenceSeparates equivalence of meaning from a strong cultural association between two things. Academic functions: Comparison / Contrast.
Words that belong together
- synonymous terms
- synonymous with
- not strictly synonymous
On the page
In this framework, efficiency and fairness are not synonymous.
The two expressions are nearly synonymous in ordinary usage but differ in the legal text.
The campaign sought to make public investment synonymous with national renewal.
The critic asks how luxury became synonymous with artistic value in the marketing of the collection.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- synonymous
Usage notes
Normally non-gradable. Standard pattern: synonymous with, not synonymous to. Register: neutral. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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