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same (sām)
Share:
adj.
1. Being the very one; identical: the same boat we rented before.
2. Similar in kind, quality, quantity, or degree: The ceremony went off with the same elegance that it has had every year.
3. Conforming in every detail: according to the same rules as before.
4. Being the one previously mentioned or indicated; aforesaid: "There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout" (King James Bible).
adv.
In the same way: The words sale and sail are pronounced the same.
pron.
1. Someone or something identical with another: She ordered the Greek salad. I'll have the same.
2. Someone or something previously mentioned or described: When you have filled out the form, please remit same to this office.
Idiom:
all/just the same
Notwithstanding; nevertheless.

[Middle English, from Old Norse samr; see sem-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

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.