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same

SAYM/seɪm/

7 meanings of same

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  1. 1
    adjective
    Not different or other; being the very person or thing already mentioned or named, and not another; identical.

    They were born in the same hospital, ten years apart.

    We've had the same mail carrier for fifteen years.

    UsageUsually with the: the same hospital, the same age.

    Similaridentical

    Oppositedifferent

  2. 2
    adjective
    Alike in kind, appearance, or character, with little or no variation between things or occasions.

    My son has the same crooked smile his grandfather had in old photos.

    The store brand tastes the same as the famous one.

    UsageCompare with as or a clause: tastes the same as the famous one, the same smile he had.

    Similaridentical, similar, matching, alike

    Oppositedifferent, dissimilar, distinct

    Note

    Here the word loosens from identity to likeness. "You have the same hair I do!" claims resemblance, not one shared head of hair. Context decides whether a speaker means this looser sense or the strict "not another" sense.

  3. 3
    pronoun
    The identical thing, or a thing of the identical kind, as one that has just been said, mentioned, or done.

    He wished me good luck before the exam, and I wished him the same.

    'Thanks for all your help today.' 'I could say the same to you.'

    UsageOften in replies: the same to you, or same again when ordering another drink.

  4. 4
    adverb
    In an identical or unchanged manner; to an equal extent or degree; equally.

    Despite the new management, the office runs the same as before.

    She sings the aria the same every night, note for note.

    UsageUsually with the: love them all the same. Degree words come first: much the same as before.

    Similaridentically, similarly, equally, alike

    Oppositedifferently

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    me toointerjectionslang
    Used to express agreement with, or a shared feeling about, what the previous speaker has just said.

    'Honestly, I'd rather stay home tonight.' 'Same.'

    'I can never remember her name.' 'Same, and it's embarrassing.'

    UsageUsed alone, with no the, to mean "me too". In careful writing, say likewise or agreed.

    Similarditto, agreed

  2. 6
    it (legal)pronounformal
    It or them, without any connotation of similarity; the very thing or things just mentioned.

    The tenant must keep the yard tidy and maintain same throughout the lease.

    Enclosed is our invoice; kindly remit payment for same within thirty days.

    UsageMostly in legal and business writing, with or without the: payment for same, systems using the same. Elsewhere, use it or them.

    Similarit, them

    Note

    Legal and patent drafting use this pronoun for exactness. It points back at the thing just named and at nothing else, with no hint of likeness.

  3. 7
    adverbdialectalUK
    Together; in company with one another.
    Note

    This is a separate word, though distantly related to the adjective. It comes from Old English samen, "together," and goes back to a root meaning "one, together." Its path from that root differs from the adjective's.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

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Origins

Meanings 1–6

This sense comes from Middle English same, from Old Norse samr and/or Old English same, sama meaning "same," both from Proto-Germanic *samaz and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *somHós. It is related to words like Dutch samen, Danish samme, and Swedish samma.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

  • English same comes from Middle English same, from Old Norse samr and/or Old English same, sama, meaning "same." en.wiktionary.org
  • The Old Norse and Old English forms derive from Proto-Germanic *samaz. en.wiktionary.org
  • The ultimate ancestor given is Proto-Indo-European *somHós. en.wiktionary.org
  • English same is related to Dutch samen, Danish samme, and Swedish samma. en.wiktionary.org
Meaning 7

This sense comes from Middle English same, from Old English samen ("together"), from Proto-Germanic *samanai and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- ("one, together"). It is related to Dutch samen and German zusammen.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts