Synonyms

Synonyms are words different in sound and spelling but identical or close in meaning, designating the same concept with different semantic or stylistic shades ("to go — to stride — to proceed — to trudge"). The aggregate of synonyms forms a synonymic row, in which a neutral core word (the dominant) is singled out. Synonymy is the most important source of the richness and flexibility of a language: it allows the finest shades of thought and feeling to be conveyed precisely, monotonous repetitions to be avoided, a word of the appropriate stylistic register to be chosen. In literature the masterful selection of synonyms attests to a high culture of writing and the richness of the author's vocabulary. The study of synonymy belongs to lexicology and stylistics, while the practical ordering of synonyms is carried out by dictionaries of synonyms.