Etymograph

English

synonymy

Synonymy comes from Late Latin synōnymia, from Ancient Greek συνωνυμία ‘synonym’, and ultimately from ὄνῠμᾰ ‘name’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὄνῠμᾰ1‘name’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυνώνυμος2sunṓnumos‘of like name’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυνωνυμία2sunōnumía‘synonym’
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsynōnymia2
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentsynonymie2
  6. Englishtodaysynonymy2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek συνώνυμος
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English synonymy

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὄνῠμᾰWiktionary, Ancient Greek συνώνυμος‘name’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυνώνυμοςWiktionary, English synonymysunṓnumos‘of like name’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυνωνυμίαWiktionary, English synonymysunōnumía‘synonym’
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsynōnymiaWiktionary, English synonymy
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentsynonymieWiktionary, English synonymy
  6. EnglishtodaysynonymyWiktionary, English synonymy

Equivalent to synonym + -y

Ancient Greek συνώνυμος ‘synonymous’

Ancient Greek συνώνυμον

Latin synōnymum

Middle English sinonyme

English synonym

Every English word from Ancient Greek ὄνῠμᾰ

Today it means

noun A certain degree of similarity between the meaning(s) of several (synonymous) words or phrases. (See Usage notes below.)

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “synonymy”; 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 / synonymy

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