synonymi

Synonymi, or synonymy, is the linguistic relation in which two or more lexemes share a similar core meaning in a given language. It underpins paraphrase, vocabulary development, and translation. The sense of synonymy is context-dependent: two words may be interchangeable in one situation but not in another because of nuance, connotation, tone, or collocation.

There are different kinds of synonyms. Absolute synonyms are supposed to be interchangeable across all contexts, but they are exceedingly rare in natural language. Near-synonyms diverge in nuance, formality, register, or strength. Gradable synonyms form part of a scale (for example, “hot” and “warm” can describe different degrees of intensity in specific contexts).

Examples help illustrate. “Big” and “large” are often interchangeable, though “large” can sound more formal or technical. “Start” and “begin” are near-synonyms; “begin” is typically more formal. The choice of synonym can affect tone, emphasis, or the implied audience.

In lexicography and NLP, synonyms are catalogued in thesauri and captured in computational models. Dictionary entries may list senses and usage notes to help distinguish when one term is preferred. Distributional methods and word embeddings provide data-driven means to identify candidate synonyms based on contextual similarity.

Cross-linguistic synonymy affects translation and language learning. While two words in different languages may express the same core idea, their exact usage, collocations, and cultural associations often differ, creating false friends and requiring careful choice.