I. ˈsām adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse samr; akin to Old High German sama same, Latin simulis like, simul together, at the same time, similis like, sem- one, Greek homos same, hama together, hen-, heis one
Date: 13th century
1.
a. : resembling in every relevant respect
b. : conforming in every respect — used with as
2.
a. : being one without addition, change, or discontinuance : identical
b. : being the one under discussion or already referred to
3. : corresponding so closely as to be indistinguishable
4. : equal in size, shape, value, or importance — usually used with the or a demonstrative (as that, those ) in all senses
Synonyms:
same , selfsame , very , identical , equivalent , equal mean not different or not differing from one another. same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things
took the same route
derived from the selfsame source
very , like selfsame , may imply identity, or, like same , may imply likeness in kind
the very point I was trying to make
identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details
identical results
equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance
two houses equivalent in market value
equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality
equal shares in the business
II. pronoun
Date: 14th century
1. : something identical with or similar to another
2. : something or someone previously mentioned or described — often used with the or a demonstrative (as that, those ) in both senses
•
- all the same
III. adverb
Date: 1766
: in the same manner — used with the or a demonstrative (as that, those )