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Synonyms

selfsame

American  
[self-seym, -seym] / ˈsɛlfˌseɪm, -ˈseɪm /

adjective

  1. being the very same; identical.

    Synonyms:
    same, very, exact

selfsame British  
/ ˈsɛlfˌseɪm /

adjective

  1. (prenominal) the very same

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • selfsameness noun

Etymology

Origin of selfsame

1375–1425; late Middle English selve same; self, same; cognate with Danish selvsamme, Old High German selbsama

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A little roughed-up, a little damp, but the selfsame sand.

From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2023

Instead of reflection on that point, we have to grapple with the fact that it comes from the selfsame jurists who see every critique of their own conduct as intolerable.

From Slate • Dec. 5, 2022

After real human curiosity is ignited in Phil’s blighted being, then comes room for actual humanity as he brings a forgotten soul to the selfsame counter for one bowl, then another, of soup.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2021

And one of the editors was John Curtice, whose exit poll this evening now poses that selfsame question once again, nearly 30 years on.

From The Guardian • Dec. 12, 2019

The land in the scopes’ view was all a blur of vegetation and selfsame coast.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi