Translation guide
The English word "synonym" refers to a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 同義語 (どうぎご), but other terms like 類義語 (るいぎご) and シノニム (しのにむ) are used depending on context and nuance.
To refer to a word that has the same meaning as another word.
The standard term for 'synonym' in linguistics and everyday use. It implies exact or very close equivalence in meaning.
"Ōkii" and "kyodai na" are synonyms.
Often translated as 'synonym' but technically refers to words with similar, not identical, meanings (near-synonyms). Used in dictionaries and thesauruses.
This dictionary contains many synonyms.
Loanword from English, used mainly in technical or academic contexts, such as database systems or linguistics papers.
Create a synonym in the database.
To talk about the idea of synonymy or the relationship between synonyms.
同義語 (どうぎご) implies exact synonymy, while 類義語 (るいぎご) implies near-synonymy. In everyday English, 'synonym' covers both, but in Japanese, the distinction is more strictly observed in linguistic contexts. For general use, 同義語 is safer.