synonymy
noun
syn·on·y·my
sə-ˈnä-nə-mē 
plural synonymies
1
a
: a list or collection of synonyms often defined and discriminated from each other
b
: the study or discrimination of synonyms
2
: the scientific names that have been used to designate the same taxonomic group (such as a species)
also
: a list of these
3
: the quality or state of being synonymous
Examples of synonymy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Medical language itself poses another barrier, with complex synonymy, polysemy and negation that AI still struggles to process accurately.
—
David Lareau, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, veganism and its synonymy to plants have spilled over from food to fashion, whereby anything labeled 'vegan' is thought to be made of plants rather than not made of animals.
—Brooke Roberts-Islam, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2022
David Lareau, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, veganism and its synonymy to plants have spilled over from food to fashion, whereby anything labeled 'vegan' is thought to be made of plants rather than not made of animals.
—Brooke Roberts-Islam, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'synonymy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near synonymy
Cite this Entry
“Synonymy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synonymy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
synonymy
noun
syn·on·y·my
sə-ˈnän-ə-mē
plural synonymies
1
a
: the study or discussion of synonyms
b
: a list or collection of synonyms often defined and discussed
2
: the quality or state of being synonymous
Medical Definition
synonymy
noun
syn·on·y·my
-mē
plural synonymies
: the scientific names that have been used in different publications to designate a taxonomic group (as a species)
also
: a list of these
More from Merriam-Webster on synonymy
Britannica English: Translation of synonymy for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about synonymy
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