Definition of EPONYMOUS

Did You Know?

It's no coincidence that "eponymous" has to do with naming - it comes to us from the Greek adjective epōnymos, which is itself from onyma, meaning "name." "Onyma" has lent its name to a number of English words, including "synonymous," "pseudonym," and "anonymous." Traditionally, an eponymous person or thing (i.e., an "eponym") might be a mythical ancestor or totem believed to be the source of a clan's name. Today, however, "eponymous" more typically refers to such individuals as the front man of "Theo's Trio" or the owner of "Sally's Restaurant" (Theo and Sally, respectively, of course). The things that are named for such name-providers are also "eponymous." For example, we can speak of "the eponymous 'Ed Sullivan Show'" as well as "the eponymous Ed Sullivan."

Examples of eponymous in a Sentence

… Ramayana, an Indian epic which chronicles, in sixty thousand verses, the adventures of its eponymous hero Rama … — Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, (1958) 1999 "Cool Britannia," which goes back to Ben and Jerry's eponymous ice cream in Spring 1996, met its sell-by-date within weeks … — Harold Perkin, Times Literary Supplement, 18 Dec. 1998 Karen Hubert Allison, the eponymous (if you count middle names) creator of Hubert's, didn't know she was making dining history … — Peter Kaminsky, New York Times Book Review, 11 May 1997

Recent Examples on the Web Bloomberg made his billions in media, financial services, and software; his eponymous Bloomberg terminal is a fixture in the lives of institutional investors, financial reporters, and monied market watchers. — Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, "Michael Bloomberg once cited the end of ‘redlining’ as the cause of the 2008 recession," 14 Feb. 2020 At the center is a tostada shell with dual functions, providing that eponymous crunch while also serving as a divider to the top layer, a bed of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream. — Gabe Bergado, Bon Appétit, "Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme Is a Gift From the Fast-Food Gods and I Don’t Care Who Hears Me Say It," 13 Feb. 2020 Since , Karl Lagerfeld—a man whose fame comes close to that of the eponymous founder—the 58-year-old creative director has not deviated from the aesthetic that helped turn the fabled fashion house into a $100 billion company. — Barry Samaha, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kristen Stewart Gives a Rare Glimpse into the Mind of Virginie Viard, Chanel’s Creative Director," 12 Feb. 2020 LIFESTYLE Tory Burch has placed the power of women at the forefront of her eponymous brand since its creation in 2004, and it’s only gotten stronger over the passing years. — Bianca Gracie, Billboard, "Tory Burch's Fall/Winter 2020 NYFW Show Celebrates Multi-Faceted Womanhood," 9 Feb. 2020 Breitbart died in 2012 and Steve Bannon, later a top adviser to Donald Trump, took over Breitbart's eponymous website, for which Bean had penned occasional columns. — CBS News, "Orson Bean, longtime actor and comedian, hit and killed by car in LA," 8 Feb. 2020 Then there’s the eponymous lodge, where Richard and his new love interest, Grace (Riley Keough), take the kids for a Christmas holiday. — Rumaan Alam, The New Republic, "The Lodge Is a House of Horrors With Nothing Inside," 7 Feb. 2020 When Victoria Beckham launched her eponymous beauty brand back in September, the first products to come to market recalled the fashion designer's makeup signature: the smoky eye. — Megan Decker, refinery29.com, "Victoria Beckham Just Launched A Groundbreaking Skin-Care Product," 6 Feb. 2020 The role of the eponymous slave-cum-liberator became an iconic one for Mr. Douglas, and no part better merged his heroic and compassionate aspects. — David Mermelstein, WSJ, "Remembering Kirk Douglas, a Multidimensional Institution," 6 Feb. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eponymous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.