Same

How to spell same

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce same

What does same mean?

1. adjectiveIdentical to something else previously mentioned; not different.

Same in a sentence

• Both invoices showed the same total at the bottom.

• We have worked in the same office for ten years.

Where does same come from?

Language of origin: Old Norse

The word 'same' traces back to a very old root meaning 'together' or 'alike' that runs through many Indo-European languages. In English it was reinforced by the Old Norse 'samr', meaning 'identical' or 'the same', brought over by Scandinavian settlers, and it sits alongside the native Old English 'same', meaning 'likewise' or 'in the same way'. The deeper root is shared with the Greek 'homos', meaning 'one and the same', which still surfaces in modern words like 'homogeneous' and 'homosexual'. The Latin relative 'similis', meaning 'like', gave English 'similar' and 'assemble', so a whole family of likeness words descends from the same ancient idea. Because 'same' is short and entirely regular in spelling, it has stayed remarkably stable since the medieval period, which is why almost nobody hesitates over it today.

How the word is built

• same (whole word, from Old Norse samr / Old English same: identical, alike)