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eponymous

[ uh-pon-uh-muhs ]
/ əˈpɒn ə məs /
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adjective
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.
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.
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Origin of eponymous

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

OTHER WORDS FROM eponymous

ep·on·y·mous·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT EPONYMOUS

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!

Where does eponymous come from?

The first records of eponymous come from 1840. It comes from the Greek word epṓnymos, which means “giving name.” Ep- means “over” or “after,” the Greek -onym means “name,” and the ending -ous makes it an adjective.

Eponymous can be used in two ways. It can be used to refer to the person who a thing is named after, as in The Batman series of comic books stars the eponymous caped crusader. And it can be used to refer to the thing named after a person, as in Batman is the main character in the eponymous superhero comic book series. 

Eponymous isn’t used with just artwork, however. It can be used for other items as well: Michael Jordan wore a pair of his eponymous Air Jordan sneakers.

Titular is another term that can be used to refer to a person a title is named after: In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, we meet the titular hero for the first time.

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What are some other forms related to eponymous?

  • eponymously (adverb)

What are some synonyms for eponymous?

What are some words that share a root or word element with eponymous

What are some words that often get used in discussing eponymous?

How is eponymous used in real life?

Eponymous is used when a person or fictional character is mentioned with something named after them.

 

 

Try using eponymous!

Is eponymous used correctly in the following sentence?

Enzo Ferrari was the founder of the eponymous luxury car company that bears his name.

How to use eponymous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for eponymous

eponymous
/ (ɪˈpɒnɪməs) /

adjective
(of a person) being the person after whom a literary work, film, etc, is namedthe eponymous heroine in the film of Jane Eyre
(of a literary work, film, etc) named after its central character or creatorthe Stooges' eponymous debut album

Derived forms of eponymous

eponymously, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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