tantamount
adjective
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
Lena Surzhko Harned, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2025
Blaming it for costing the state money is tantamount to punching someone in the nose and then suing them for bloodstain damage to the shirt of their assailant.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025
On Sunday’s episode of ABC’s This Week, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York was asked to share his reaction to the email and Musk’s comment that failing to respond would be tantamount to a resignation.
—Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 23 Feb. 2025
Trying to convince these teens that the goods are not worth stealing seems tantamount to giving up.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tantamount
Cite this Entry
“Tantamount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tantamount. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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tantamount
adjective
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