tantamount

American  

[tan-tuh-mount] / ˈtæn təˌmaʊnt /

adjective

1. equivalent, as in value, force, effect, or signification.

   His angry speech was tantamount to a declaration of war.

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tantamount British  

/ ˈtæntəˌmaʊnt /

adjective

1. as good (as); equivalent in effect (to)

   his statement was tantamount to an admission of guilt

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Related Words

See equal.

Etymology

Origin of tantamount

First recorded in 1635–45; adjective use of obsolete noun, “that which amounts to as much, something equivalent,” itself a noun use of an obsolete verb, “to amount to as much,” from Anglo-French tant amunter or Italian tanto montare “to amount to as much,” from Latin tantum, neuter of adjective tantus “of such size, so great”; tanto, amount

Example Sentences

“What happened to you was not miraculous,” he tells her, and the contention is to her tantamount to a slap in the face.

From The Wall Street Journal

"For his age, this is tantamount to a life sentence -- an extremely severe punishment," she said.

From Barron's

In his initial screen representations, Superman was an earnest representation of Americana—despite being from the fictional planet Krypton—and tantamount goodness.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some of Price’s City Council colleagues have said Price’s alleged crimes were tantamount to paperwork errors, and should have been handled by the city’s Ethics Commission.

From Los Angeles Times

The government basically contends that willfully turning a blind eye to something you know is going on is tantamount to not knowing.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• commensurate
• identical