I. ˈsām adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse samr, sami; akin to Old English ( swā ) same likewise, Old High German & Gothic sama same, Latin similis like, sem- one, simul together, at the same time, Greek homos same, heis, hen one, hama together, Sanskrit sama level, equal, same, sam together
1.
a. : resembling in every way : not different in relevant essentials at one time
we must not expect to be all happy in the same degree — James Boswell
b. : conforming in every respect — used with as
eat the same rations as the captain — H.A.Chippendale
gave him the same answer as before
2.
a. : being one without addition, change, or discontinuance : having one nature or individuality : of like nature or identity : identical , selfsame
you can't do the same thing all the time — Jimmy Cannon
speakers and hearers, who may be one and the same persons — Gilbert Ryle
b. : being the one under discussion or already referred to
the committee backing the fare increase is the same committee that recently issued an urgent plea to curb inflation
— often used as an intensive
used six quotations from this same book
3. : corresponding so closely as to be indistinguishable : closely similar : comparable
mother and son have the same black eyes
the way two different drivers treat … the same sets of tires — R.L.Rosekrans
the form is diverse; the essence is the same — Havelock Ellis
Synonyms:
same , selfsame , very , identical , identic , equivalent , equal , and tantamount can apply to one thing not different from another or things not differing from each other. same may imply, and selfsame always implies, that the things under consideration are only one thing
the systems of all three countries conform to the same standards of … justice and fair play — John Moylan
in efficiency, one method may be the same as another
each question was directed to the selfsame urgent end — E.M.Lustgarten
voted out of power … by the selfsame people who had put them into office in the first place — B.F.Fairless
very can often be no different from selfsame
what others have thought about the very problems that face us now — C.F.Strubbe
here in this very town there was once a cafe — Carson McCullers
the very man I was looking for
identical implies selfsameness or absolute agreement in all details
consists of several hundred identical shacks arranged in rows — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
we are not identical with our former self — Alexis Carrel
identic is the same as identical but has a chiefly diplomatic or governmental provenience
collective or identic notes utilized by the powers in making joint representation to a government — G.H.Stuart
the resolution is identic with a resolution enacted last year — U.S. Code
the president in identic letters addressed to the attorney general, the secretary of war and the secretary of the navy, notified them of his approval — F.A.Howard
equivalent applies to things estimated against each other and implies amounting to the same thing
instead of matching it with an equivalent folly, we wish to offer an alternative — Herbert Agar
the voters, who for practical purposes are equivalent to the people — W.J.Shepard
the accumulation of property is therefore equivalent to a concentration of power or sovereignty over the lives of those who need the goods owned by others — M.R.Cohen
equal signifies identical in some specific way, as in height, amount, or effectiveness
in many counties cattle and sheep are of almost equal importance — American Guide Series: Nevada
when our men have equal weapons in their hands — Sir Winston Churchill
the picture cannot be painted if the significant and the insignificant are given equal prominence — B.N.Cardozo
two boys equal in size and age
tantamount is the same as equivalent but applies only to one of two equivalent things, usually nonmaterial
an article of faith, the denial of which is tantamount to treason — Archibald MacLeish
failure to publish is tantamount to suppression — R.H.Rovere
production of coal is tantamount to the destruction of stored energy — W.P.Webb
II. pronoun
Etymology: Middle English, from same (I)
1.
a. : something identical with or similar to another
an actual apple or a picture of the same — Einar Haugen
the rules … are the same which govern professional big-league play — C.L.Biemiller
when by sheer luck you strike a wedding … and when by more of the same you reach Vienna on a feast day — Claudia Cassidy
b. obsolete : something that is a counterpart — used with that
such was thy zeal to Israel then, the same that now to me — John Milton
2. : something that has previously been defined or described
ran up big bills … but was not very strong on paying same — Bennett Cerf
each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same — U.S. Constitution
have in his possession gold certificates after same had been registered at Washington — F.A.Limpert
•
- the same
III. adverb
Etymology: same (I)
: in the same manner : the same
may be applied with … connector strips, same as any other wallboard — Stonewall Board