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Synonym vs Homonym - What's the difference?

synonym | homonym |

As nouns the difference between synonym and homonym

is that synonym is a word or phrase with a meaning that is the same as, or very similar to, another word or phrase while homonym is a word that both sounds and is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning.

synonym

Noun

(en noun)
  • (semantics, with respect to a given word or phrase) A word or phrase with a meaning that is the same as, or very similar to, another word or phrase.
  • "Happy" is a synonym of "glad".
  • *
  • (zoology, with respect to a name for a given taxon) Any of the formal names for the taxon, including the valid name (i.e. the senior synonym).
  • (botany, with respect to a name for a given taxon) Any name for the taxon, usually a validly published, formally accepted one, but often also an unpublished name.
  • (databases) An alternative (often shorter) name defined for an object in a database.
  • * 2011 , Paul Nielsen, Uttam Parui, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Bible
  • Synonyms are part of the SQL standard and are used frequently by Oracle DBAs. Note that Oracle includes both private and public synonyms.

    Synonyms

    * (word or phrase with same meaning as another) equivalent, poecilonym

    Antonyms

    * (word or phrase with same meaning as another) antonym, opposite

    Derived terms

    * near-synonym

    See also

    (en) * homotypic * heterotypic * ----

    homonym

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (semantics, strict sense) A word that both sounds and is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning.
  • (loosely) A word that sounds or is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning, technically called a (homophone) (same sound) or a (homograph) (same spelling).
  • (taxonomy) A name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another name that belongs to a different taxon.
  • Usage notes

    * Homonyms (in the looser sense) are divided into the two overlapping subcategories homographs and homophones. Examples: ** (die) and (dye) (homophones but not homographs) ** the (parasitic) (flatworm) called a (fluke) and (fluke), part of the tail of a whale (both homophones and homographs and therefore true homonyms in the strict sense) ** the metal (lead) and the present tense of the verb (lead) (homographs but not homophones)

    See also

    (en) English abstract nouns ----