-onym

-o·nym
/ə.nɪm/Australia, Canada, US, UK, Scotland/-ə.nɪm/Australia, Canada, US, UK, Scotland, also/-ʌ.nɪm/New Zealand/-ə.nəm/

suffix

Word.

“an- + -onym → anonym (“anonymous person”)”

OriginAncient Greek -ώνυμον →
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Meanings

-onym1

suffix-onym (noun-forming suffix, plural -onyms)

plural -onyms · alternative -nym

  1. A combining form meaning “word” or “name”, used in terms that denote a particular kind of word or name.
    1. Word.

      anti- (“opposite”) + -onym → antonym (“opposite word”)

      1 more example

      epi- (“upon; after”) + -onym → eponym (“word (or name) derived from a proper noun”)

    2. Name.

      pseudo- (“false”) + -onym → pseudonym (“false name”)

      4 more examples

      topo- (“place”) + -onym → toponym (“name of a place”)

      thalasso- (“sea”) + -onym → thalassonym (“name of a sea”)

      anthropo- (“person”) + -onym → anthroponym (“name of a person”)

      ornitho- (“bird”) + -onym → ornithonym (“name of a (species of) bird”)

-onym2

suffix-onym (adjective-forming suffix)

alternative -nym

  1. obsoleterare-onymous

    pseudo- + -onym → pseudonym (“pseudonymous”, adjective) (obsolete)

suffix-onym (noun-forming suffix, plural -onyms)

plural -onyms · alternative -nym

  1. idiomatic-onymous person

    an- + -onym → anonym (“anonymous person”)

    1 more example

    epi- + -onym → eponym (“eponymous person”)

Origin

-onym · suffix

  1. Ancient Greek-ώνυμον
  2. English-onym

From international scientific vocabulary, reflecting the New Latin combining form -ōnymum n, from the nominalization of Ancient Greek -ώνυμον (-ṓnumon), the neuter of -ώνυμος (-ṓnumos, “-onymous”), from ὄνυμα (ónuma, Doric and Aeolic dialectal form of ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”)) + -ος (-os, adjective-forming suffix); compare also -onymy § Etymology.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

-onym · suffix, suffix

  1. Ancient Greek-ώνυμος
  2. Latin-ōnymos /-ōnymus
  3. French-onyme
  4. English-onym

Borrowed from French -onyme (“-onymous”, suffix forming adjectives (often nominalizable)), from Latin -ōnymos /-ōnymus (adjective-forming suffix), from Ancient Greek -ώνυμος (-ṓnumos, adjective-forming suffix), from ὄνυμα (ónuma, Doric and Aeolic dialectal form of ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”)) + -ος (-os, adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of -onymous.

More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Brazilian Portuguese -ônimo, -ônimo
  • -ônimoword
  • -ônimoname
  • -ônimo-onymous person
  • -ônima-onymous person
Catalan -ònim, -ònim
  • -ònimword
  • -ònimname
  • -ònim-onymous person
  • -ònima-onymous person
Danish -onym
  • -onymword
Esperanto -onimo, -onimo
  • -onimoword
  • -onimoname
European Portuguese -ónimo, -ónimo
  • -ónimoword
  • -ónimoname
  • -ónimo-onymous person
  • -ónima-onymous person
French -onyme, -onyme
  • -onymeword
  • -onymename
  • -onyme-onymous person
German -onym, -onym
  • -onymword
  • -onymname
Greek -ώνυμο, -ώνυμο
  • -ώνυμο (-ónymo)word
  • -ώνυμο (-ónymo)name
  • -ωνύμιο (-onýmio)name
Hungarian -onima
  • -onimaword
Italian -ònimo, -onimo
  • -ònimoword
  • -onimoname
  • -onimo-onymous person
  • -onima-onymous person
Latin -ōnymum, -ōnymum
  • -ōnymumword
  • -ōnymumname
  • -ōnymos /-ōnymus-onymous person
  • -ōnymos /-ōnyma-onymous person
Norwegian Bokmål -onym
  • -onymword
Polish -onim, -onim
  • -onimword
  • -onimname
Romanian -onim
  • -onimword
Spanish -ónimo, -ónimo
  • -ónimoword
  • -ónimoname
  • -ónimo-onymous person
  • -ónima-onymous person
Cite this entry
APA

-onym. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-onym

MLA

“-onym.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-onym. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-onym,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-onym.

Source: -onym on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.