Synonym

synonym, word or phrase that has the same meaning as another one. It is formed from the Greek words syn, meaning “together,” and onyma, meaning “name.” Examples of synonyms include clever and intelligent, or attractive and pretty. By contrast, antonyms have the opposite meaning, as exemplified by hot and cold.

The cultural wealth of language provides fertile ground for synonymy. English words of Germanic origin, such as abandon and troth, are synonymous with the Latinate terms desert and loyalty, respectively. Loanwords, or borrowings between languages, are exemplified by the use of the French vis-à-vis as a synonym for the English-language expression “in relation to.” Similarly, the Italian al fresco is used to refer to outdoor dining in English, and the Greek kudos is synonymous with “congratulations.” Some borrowings undergo grammatical change during transfer, whereas others undergo lexical change. Local word formation based on foreign lexis is common in Japanese, as exemplified by the word famicom, based on the English terms family and computer, to refer to the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Over the years, synonyms have been dismissed by a number of linguists on the grounds that no words have the exact same meaning. This is because of differences in terms of connotation and frequency as well as language level and distribution. The word synonym is therefore also commonly used for words that bear a strong resemblance to the headword despite being devoid of an exact correlation; the coinage near-synonym would be more appropriate in such cases. Context plays a significant role in synonymy, as terms such as close and shut can be synonymous in certain situations but not in all. One can shut a window but not a bank account, though one can close either. Further issues arise during translation, because some terms do not exist in the target language. This can result in hypocognition; that is, a given concept cannot be expressed, because of insufficient or inadequate vocabulary.

Despite disagreement, synonyms are often included in dictionaries along with the definition of the word as a means to guide language learners in their quest for meaning. Some synonym dictionaries implicitly distinguish between synonyms and near-synonyms, offering separate lists which differ according to denotation. Thesauruses, which focus on synonyms and often antonyms, have existed since the Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases was first published by British lexicographer Peter Mark Roget in 1852. Synonyms can be used as a tool to foster “elegant variation” to tackle monotony during written production, as suggested by Henry Fowler in 1906. Nowadays, thesauruses enjoy widespread popularity in the field of education and are seen as a tool to foster lexical acquisition.

If exact equivalence is denied, synonymy is often associated with—and challenging to distinguish from—other common literary devices. Synonymy can occur by means of metonymy, such as when Buckingham Palace is used to refer to the British monarchy or when crown is used to refer to a king or queen, as the terms refer to closely associated entities. Similarly, threads can be synonymous with clothes in American English, exemplifying a synecdoche, a type of metonymy whereby a word denoting part of something is used to refer to the whole. Moreover, euphemisms can be used to soften a given term, as exemplified by the use of the compound noun user fees in lieu of taxes.