-onymous

/ˈɒnɪməs/

suffix

Having a specified number or type of names.

“syn- + -onymous → synonymous”

OriginProto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? ← Ancient Greek ὄνυμα (ónuma) →
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Meanings

suffix-onymous (adjective-forming suffix)
  1. Having a specified number or type of names.

    syn- + -onymous → synonymous

    5 more examples

    an- + -onymous → anonymous (“having no name”)

    mono- + -onymous → mononymous (“having one name”)

    poly- + -onymous → polyonymous (“having multiple names”)

    homo- + -onymous → homonymous (“having the same name”)

    pseudo- + -onymous → pseudonymous (“having a false name”)

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὄνυμα (ónuma)
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  4. English-onymous

Adapted borrowing of Latin -ōnymos /-ōnymus + -ous, from Ancient Greek -ώνυμος (-ṓnumos), from ὄνυμα (ónuma, “name”) + -ος (-os, suffix forming compound adjectives). By surface analysis, -onym + -ous.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek -ώνυμος
  • -ώνυμος (-ṓnumos)having a specified number or type of names
Brazilian Portuguese -ônimo
  • -ônimohaving a specified number or type of names
Catalan -ònim
  • -ònimhaving a specified number or type of names
European Portuguese -ónimo
  • -ónimohaving a specified number or type of names
French -onyme
  • -onymehaving a specified number or type of names
German -onym
  • -onymhaving a specified number or type of names
Greek -ώνυμος
  • -ώνυμος (-ónymos)having a specified number or type of names
Italian -onimo
  • -onimohaving a specified number or type of names
Latin -ōnymos /-ōnymus
  • -ōnymos /-ōnymushaving a specified number or type of names
Spanish -ónimo
  • -ónimohaving a specified number or type of names
Cite this entry
APA

-onymous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-onymous

MLA

“-onymous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-onymous. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-onymous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-onymous.

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