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paronym

Syllabification: (par·o·nym)
Pronunciation: /ˈparənim/

Definition of paronym

noun

Linguistics
  • a word that is a derivative of another and has a related meaning:“wisdom” is a paronym of “wise.”
  • a word formed by adaptation of a foreign word:“preface” is a paronym of Latin “prefatio.”Contrasted with heteronym.

Derivatives

paronymic

Pronunciation: /ˌparəˈnimik/

adjective

paronymous

Pronunciation: /pəˈränəməs/

adjective

paronymy

Pronunciation: /pəˈränəmē/

noun

Origin:

mid 19th century: from Greek parōnumon, neuter (used as a noun) of parōnumos 'naming by modification', from para- 'beside' + onuma 'name'

paronym in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of paronym in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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