1. The Synonym-Similar Distinction
3. Using the SYN-SIM distinction in education.
1. The Synonym-Similar Distinction:
The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus can be used by teachers as a language lab - a source of exercises to test and develop the students' language skills. Taking the entry for "affluent" as an example, the teacher could ask students to analyze the synonym and similar categories - look them up in the WEDT, and try to figure out why some are listed as synonyms and some as similars (or near synonyms).
The similars (near synonyms) are distinct from synonyms in either manner, degree. context, connotation, usage, register, or a combination of these features. The near synonyms are therefore either too narrow or too general in their use and meaning to be strict synonyms.
af-flu-ent
- DEF: 1. having material wealth.
- SYN: wealthy, rich (1), prosperous (1), well-to-do, well-off (1), moneyed (1)
- SIM: opulent, flush(2), thriving [thrive], in clover [clover (ri)], comfortable, well-heeled, loaded
- DEF: 2. based on or conditioned by prolonged prosperity and the expectation of continued prosperity, as a society.
- SIM: developed [develop], industrialized [industrialize]
- DEF: 3. abounding in anything; plentiful; copious.
- SYN: opulent (2), abundant (1,2), copious, plentiful, profuse (1), rife (2,3)
- SIM: flush{2, brimming [brim], bounteous, luxuriant, exuberant, lavish
In the process of creating the entry, the Thesaurus writers made distinctions based on a set of possible factors that might make a word ineligible to function as a synonym. Some of the factors are noted below for the first sense of "affluent" and the first sense of "jostle".
- AFFLUENT
- DEF: 1. having material wealth.
- SYN (Synonyms):
- rich, wealthy, prosperous, well-to-do
- SIM (Near Synonyms):
- OPULENT
- (of things, not people) of things bought with material wealth
- FLUSH
- (temporary) full, plentiful, plentifully supplied as with money
- THRIVING
- (weaker than affluent; more general than affluent) progressing, proceeding, prospering
- IN CLOVER
- (contextually limited--refers to standard of living) living in prosperity, comfort and ease
- COMFORTABLE
- (weaker than affluent) having more than adequate or quite sufficient
- WELL--HEELED
- (cormotation of arrogance or some sort of value judgment; also more informal)
- LOADED
- (register difference--more informal than affluent, could also be temporary)
- JOSTLE:
- DEF: 1. to push, crowd, or bump against, esp. on purpose; collide with.
SYN (Synonyms):
- push (I), crowd (I), bump (1), collide (1)
SIM (Near Synonyms):
- JOG1
- (lesser degree) move or jar slightly, nudge
- JOLT
- (greater degree) shake up and cause to move by a sudden and forceful blow
- JAR2
- (different manner) collide or bump so as to cause vibration
- SHOVE
- (different manner) to push roughly or carelessly
- ELBOW
- (different manner) push at or away with or as if with one's elhow
- SHOULDER
- (different manner) push roughly especially with the shoulders
- 2. The Similarity Relation.
- (back to top)
- In distinguishing similars from synonyms for particular senses, below are some of the more common similarity relations that you may find between a particular sense of an entry word and a potential similar.
- Keep in mind, of course, that a similar on one sense of a main entry (sense 1, for example) inaystillbea synonym on another sense (sense 3, for example) of that same main entry.
- x --similar word y -- main entry
- A. DEGREE/MANNER
- Definition: x and y are similar except for degree or manner
hit
SIM
whallop
sleep
SIM
nap, doze
take
SIM
snatch
cry
SIM
sob
cold
SIM
cool
B. REGISTER
- This includes politeness, formality, slang usage, and various other social disgraces.
- Definition: x andy are similar except for differences in register:
-
abdomen
SIM
tummy
talk
SIM
rap
many
SIM
oodles
informed
SIM
hip
kiss
SIM
buss
- This category is very slippery and requires a lot of your own judgnient because the usage of infommal or slang words in particular is constantly changing. 'The more you believe that a particular word is in the mainstream of English usage, the more tempted you may be to call it a synonym instead of a similar. For example, would you call "bust" a synonym or similar of "arrest"?
C. NEGATIVE CONNOTATION
Definition: x is similar to y, but in a negative sense
copy SIM plagiarize willowy SIM skinny look SIM leer encourage SIM abet reject SIM spurn
D. CLASS INCLUSION
Definition: x is similar to y; and also x is a kind or example of y
adornment SIM trinket, knicknack adult SIM man, woman advertisement SIM commercial, notice affix SIM prefix, suffix abbey SIM convent
Note that a similar of this type must satisfy both the similarity and class inclusion conditions.
E. CONTEXT/USAGE
This is admittedly a broad and somewhat vague category, but it seems to capture the feeling you often have that one of your words is distinctly narrower or wider in usage than the other.
Definition: x and y are similar except for context or usage:
sell SIM vend, peddle fail SIM crash adventurer SIM flimflammer,
bamboozler affluent SIM loaded abdicate SIM resign abduct SIM hijack
You may notice that this relationship, which is particularly common among verbs, is analogous to the class inclusion relation ("kind of") discussed above for nouns. Thus, "hijack(ing)" may be thought of as a kind of "abduct(ing)," etc.
F. SIZE / AGE / MATURITY / FUNCTION
Definition: x and y are similar, except for size, or age, or maturity or function:
plate SIM platter hatchet SIM ax rock SIM pebble spike SIM nail plant SIM seedling chicken SIM pullet
3. Using the SYN-SIM distinction in education.
These features of the Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus can be used effectively to sharpen the skills of students in grasping the subtleties of word choices - both those they encounter in reading, and those they employ in writing. For example, the following activities will greatly enhance the refinement and sophistication of any student:
a. Combine synonyms and similars for one definition of a word in a list. Ask students to mark those they think are strict synonyms and those they think would be in the similar category.
b. Ask students to look at the words listed as synonyms, and find out how similar the definitiosn are. Do the same for similars, and then ask them to try to explain the placement of a particular word in the SYN or the SIM field.
c. Ask students to write a sentence with a word, and then try rewriting the sentence with one of the synonyms of that word, and then with one of the similars of that word. They should be able to note the difference in potential meanings. (back to top)
Your input:
If you have suggestions for other exercises that can be done with the WEDT, please send feedback, or contact Bob Parks by email.
____________________
NOTE
1. For some pairs of words, you will probably notice a great deal of overlap in this list. For example, the relationship between a similar and a main entry on a particular sense could be expressed by a number of these similarity relations simultaneously.
2. The similarity relation expressed between word x and wordy is usually not reciprocal. Thus while "colt" is a similar of "horse," "horse" can be a synonym of"colt." "Nap" is a similar of"sleep," but sleep' is a synonym of nap.