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syn·on·y·mous

(sĭ-nŏnə-məs)

adj.

1. Having the character of a synonym: synonymous words; synonymous species.

2. Equivalent in connotation: "a widespread impression that ... Hollywood was synonymous with immorality" (Doris Kearns Goodwin).

[From Medieval Latin synōnymus, from Greek sunōnumos : sun-, syn- + onoma, onuma, name; see n-men- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

syn·ony·mous·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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