Which term means a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase?

Which term means a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase?

• A. Context
• B. Audience
• C. Synonym
• D. Purpose

Answer: (C)

Synonymy is the idea at work here—the relationship between words that have the same meaning or very nearly the same meaning. A synonym is a word or phrase that means the same thing as another, or almost the same thing. For example, “joyful” is a synonym of “happy,” and “large” is a synonym of “big.” Remember that while synonyms share meaning, they can differ in tone or formality, so you pick the one that fits the context. The other terms describe different concepts: context is the surrounding text or situation, audience is who the writing is intended for, and purpose is the reason for writing.

Synonymy is the idea at work here—the relationship between words that have the same meaning or very nearly the same meaning. A synonym is a word or phrase that means the same thing as another, or almost the same thing. For example, “joyful” is a synonym of “happy,” and “large” is a synonym of “big.” Remember that while synonyms share meaning, they can differ in tone or formality, so you pick the one that fits the context. The other terms describe different concepts: context is the surrounding text or situation, audience is who the writing is intended for, and purpose is the reason for writing.