Meanings
comparative more eponymous · superlative most eponymous
- Of, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named; serving as an eponym.
Robinson Crusoe is the eponymous hero of the book.
3 more examples
Prince Hamlet is the eponymous protagonist of the Shakespearian tragedy Hamlet.
The language Limburgish is named after the eponymous provinces in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Hadadas roost in numbers among the trees in the leafier parts of Nairobi and their eponymous call is one of the more insistent elements of the dawn chorus in that part of the world, though they may be heard at any time of the day.
2008, Nicholas Drayson, chapter 5, in A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, London: Penguin Books, published 2012, →ISBN, pages 24–25 - Of a thing: named after a person or entity.
The American singer-songwriter Madonna released her eponymous album in 1983.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivebeing or relating to or bearing the name of an eponym
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐπώνῠμος“concerning giving one’s name to something; named in a significant manner; surnamed”
- Englisheponymous
PIE word *h₁epi From Ancient Greek ἐπώνῠμος (epṓnŭmos, “concerning giving one’s name to something; named in a significant manner; surnamed”) + English -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, denoting pertinence or relation). By surface analysis, epi- + -onymous.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Brazilian Portuguese epônimo
- epônimoof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Catalan epònim
- epònimof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Danish navngivende
- navngivendeof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Dutch eponiem, gelijknamig
- eponiemof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- gelijknamigof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- naamgevendof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
European Portuguese epónimo
- epónimoof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Finnish eponyyminen, samanniminen
- eponyyminenof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- samanniminenof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- mukaan nimettyof a thing: named after a person or entity
French éponyme
- éponymeof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
German eponymisch, eponym
- eponymischof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- eponymof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- gleichnamigof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- namensgebendof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Greek επωνυμικός, επιλέγω
- επωνυμικός (eponymikós)of, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- επιλέγω (epilégo)of, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- επιλεγόμενος (epilegómenos)of, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Hebrew אֶפּוֹנִימִי, אֶפּוֹנִים
- אֶפּוֹנִימִי (eponími)of, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- אֶפּוֹנִים (eponím)of a thing: named after a person or entity
Hungarian azonos nevű/című, névadó
- azonos nevű/címűof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- névadóof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Irish eapainmneach
- eapainmneachof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Italian eponimo
- eponimoof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Polish eponimiczny, tytułowy
- eponimicznyof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
- tytułowyof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Romanian eponim
- eponimof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Russian одноимённый
- одноимённый (odnoimjónnyj)of, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Spanish epónimo
- epónimoof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Swedish självbetitlad
- självbetitladof a thing: named after a person or entity
Ukrainian однойме́нний
- однойме́нний (odnojménnyj)of, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Welsh eponymaidd
- eponymaiddof, relating to, or being the person or entity after which someone or something is named
Cite this entry
eponymous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eponymous
“eponymous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eponymous. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eponymous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eponymous.
Source: eponymous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.