Etymograph

English

synonymous

Synonymous comes from Ancient Greek συνώνυμος ‘having the same name’, and goes back to ὄνῠμᾰ.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὄνῠμᾰ1‘name’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυνώνυμος2sunṓnumos‘having the same name’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500synōnymus2
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1837synonymous2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek συνώνυμος
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English synonymous
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1837, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Chapter XXVII. Lady Marchmont to Sir Jasper Meredith.: “He was not far wrong, for nothing strikes me…”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὄνῠμᾰWiktionary, Ancient Greek συνώνυμος‘name’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυνώνυμοςWiktionary, English synonymoussunṓnumos‘having the same name’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500synōnymusWiktionary, English synonymous
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1837synonymousWiktionary, English synonymous. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1837, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Chapter XXVII. Lady Marchmont to Sir Jasper Meredith.: “He was not far wrong, for nothing strikes me…”

Equivalent to synonym + -ous

Ancient Greek συνώνυμος ‘synonymous’

Ancient Greek συνώνυμον

Latin synōnymum

Middle English sinonyme

English synonym

Every English word from Ancient Greek ὄνῠμᾰ

Today it means

adj Having a similar (sometimes identical) meaning. (See Usage notes below)

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “synonymous”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek συνώνυμος. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ὄνῠμᾰ / synonymous

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