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Interchangeable vs Synonymous - What's the difference?

interchangeable | synonymous |

As adjectives the difference between interchangeable and synonymous

is that interchangeable is freely substitutable may be swapped at will while synonymous is having a similar meaning.

interchangeable

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Freely substitutable. May be swapped at will.
  • Eli Whitney's development of interchangeable parts was a breakthrough for modern manufacturing. Prior to that each part had to be made custom.
  • * 2014 , Ian Jack, " Is this the end of Britishness", The Guardian , 16 September 2014:
  • The English, until relatively recently, seem to have imagined “English” and “British” to be interchangeable , as if Britain was just a bigger England.

    Derived terms

    * interchangeably

    synonymous

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • having a similar meaning
  • of, or being a synonym
  • (genetics, of a SNP) Such that both its forms yield the same sequenced protein.
  • Antonyms

    * antonymous * nonsynonymous * (genetics) nonsynonymous

    Derived terms

    * synonym * synonymity