tantamount

[ tan-tuh-mount ]

adjective

1. equivalent, as in value, force, effect, or signification:

   His angry speech was tantamount to a declaration of war.

tantamount

/ ˈtæntəˌmaʊnt /

adjective

1. postpositivefoll byto as good (as); equivalent in effect (to)

   his statement was tantamount to an admission of guilt

Word History and Origins

Origin of tantamount¹

First recorded in 1635–45; adjective use of obsolete noun, “that which amounts to as much, something equivalent,” itself a noun use of an obsolete verb, “to amount to as much,” from Anglo-French tant amunter or Italian tanto montare “to amount to as much,” from Latin tantum, neuter of adjective tantus “of such size, so great”; tanto, amount

Word History and Origins

Origin of tantamount¹

C17: basically from Anglo-French tant amunter to amount to as much, from tant so much + amunter to amount

Synonym Study

See equal.

Example Sentences

“Ending user fees is tantamount to starving the agency,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

In that climate, publicly denouncing a man for blasphemy was tantamount to designating a terrorist target, prosecutors will argue.

From BBC

A Long Beach school security guard who shot a teenager in the back of the head while she was driving away from a crime scene secured a plea that was tantamount to probation last month.

From Los Angeles Times

In comments last week, he described much of the US-Mexico border as tantamount to the film World War Z.

From BBC

Sheehy stands by his story, telling the Times that their investigation was “tantamount to falsely accusing him of stolen valor” in a Friday statement.

From Salon

Related Words

• commensurate
• identical