eponymous

[uh-pon-uh-muhs]

adjective

1. named after the specified person, place, or thing, usually its founder, creator, inventor, discoverer, or source.

   Having made her mark designing for major brands, she is launching a new, eponymous label.

   Emperor Constantine modeled his eponymous city, Constantinople, after Rome.

2. giving one’s name to a place or thing.

   The novel’s eponymous protagonist is actually Dr. Frankenstein, not his monster.

   Romulus killed Remus and became the eponymous founder of Rome.

eponymous

/ ɪˈpɒnɪməs /

adjective

1. (of a person) being the person after whom a literary work, film, etc, is named

   the eponymous heroine in the film of Jane Eyre

2. (of a literary work, film, etc) named after its central character or creator

   the Stooges' eponymous debut album

Other Word Forms

• eponymously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of eponymous¹

First recorded in 1840–50; from Greek epṓnymos “given as a name”; ep-, -onym, -ous

Example Sentences

It’s also been an intimate window into the conflicted inner life of the show’s eponymous host.

From Los Angeles Times

With 18 million views on YouTube, the punky boom-bap “Duh!” from its eponymous release barely had a chance to cool when they announced their latest album ‘‘Ex,” which they released last Friday.

From Los Angeles Times

The story of the Buena Vista Social Club was turned into an eponymous musical in 2023, with Portuondo featured as one of the main characters.

From Los Angeles Times

Horticultural note: The first eponymous orange trees, of which dwindling numbers remain, were imported.

From Los Angeles Times

He derided the concept on a 2022 episode of his eponymous show as “a made-up, new age term that … does a lot of damage.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• onymous 

When To Use

What does eponymous mean?

Eponymous is used to describe someone who has given their name to something or has had something named after them, as in I met the eponymous owner of Sally’s Restaurant at the farmer’s market yesterday. Eponymous can also be used to describe works of art that are named after their creator or lead fictional character, as in In Robinson Crusoe, the eponymous lead character lives alone on a deserted island for 28 years. Eponymous is a fancy word used to describe things (restaurants, books, movies, etc.) that are named after a person. One of the more common uses of eponymous is in articles or stories about the history of something that’s named after a person who is still alive or involved. For example, Walt E. Disney created his eponymous company, The Walt Disney Company.Eponym refers to the person something is named after. The Amazon tribe, a mythical Greek tribe, is the eponym of the Amazon River in South America.Example: The movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows stars the eponymous detective in his most dangerous case yet!