Meaning & use
synonymy
The state of having the same or nearly the same meaning, or the study of such relationships between words.
See it in a sentence
Linguists debate the exact synonymy between words like "big" and "large" in different contexts.
The dictionary's introduction discusses synonymy and how subtle shades of meaning separate near-identical words.
A note on using this word
A more abstract, technical noun than "synonym"; used mainly in linguistics rather than everyday conversation.
Words with a similar meaning
This term is best learned through its definition and examples.
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “synonymy”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.