tantamount

adjective

tan·ta·mount ˈtan-tə-ˌmau̇nt

Synonyms of tantamount next

: equivalent in value, significance, or effect

a relationship tantamount to marriage

Did you know?

Although tantamount (from the Anglo-French phrase tant amunter, meaning “to amount to as much”) was used three different ways in the early 17th century—as a noun, verb, and adjective—the adjective form has since proven paramount to English users: it’s still in use while the noun and verb are obsolete. This is not to say that the adjective hasn’t experienced change over the years. While it was once acceptable to use tantamount in a variety of different sentence structures, nowadays it is almost always followed by the word to. And to use it before a noun, as in “the two old friends exchanged tantamount greetings,” would now be considered, er, tantamount to riding a penny-farthing or boneshaker onto the expressway.

Examples of tantamount in a Sentence

His statement was tantamount to an admission of guilt. They see any criticism of the President as tantamount to treason.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

As secretary of state, Rubio could run point on devising additional economic sanctions on Cuba, increasing funding for dissidents and pro-democracy programs that Havana considers tantamount to regime change, and further restricting US travel to Cuba. —

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024 Overcoming this challenge means confronting the fact that American democracy is constrained, if not torpedoed, by a campaign finance system that is tantamount to legalized bribery. —

Nancy Okail, Foreign Affairs, 3 Dec. 2024 A number of high-profile lawsuits allege that training AI on people’s art and writing without their knowledge is tantamount to theft. —

Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2024 Listening to the raw session tapes is tantamount to time travel as John can be heard making jokes and comments to his fellow musicians. —

Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tantamount