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

The 1845 discovery of Poland Spring spawned both the eponymous bottled water business as well as a spa hotel with the oldest resort golf course in America. — Patricia Harris And David Lyon, BostonGlobe.com, "Goin’ up the country: The rustic appeal of Maine’s Route 26," 21 June 2018 To move his eponymous California Street restaurant into the future, Michael Mina is looking back to his childhood. — Justin Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "Michael Mina’s flagship restaurant shifts to Middle Eastern theme," 29 May 2018 Paula Deen's eponymous Family Kitchen restaurant celebrated the opening of a new location in the Bass Pro Shops at the RIM shopping center—the country’s first. — Southern Living, "Paula Deen Opens a New Restaurant Inside a San Antonio Bass Pro Shop," 30 Apr. 2018 Owner Sabina Bandera, who has operated her street cart La Guerrerense since 1960, opened her eponymous restaurant just two years ago. — Peter Cheng, Los Angeles Magazine, "Mexican-Food Expert Bill Esparza Has Curated Cruise Excursions That Are a Gastronome’s Dream," 23 Apr. 2018 Ivanka modeled, ran her eponymous clothing and jewelry business, and worked closely with her father at the Trump Organization and on The Apprentice. — Nicola Pardy, refinery29.com, "Before Ivanka Trump, There Was Julie Nixon," 12 Mar. 2018 Celebrated chef Alon Shaya, who was fired from his eponymous restaurant last September, will soon be cooking again. — Todd A. Price, NOLA.com, "Alon Shaya will open restaurants in New Orleans and Denver," 20 Feb. 2018 Since 2009, De Niro has been a co-owner of the luxurious Nobu Hotels group, sharing ownership with the chef Nobu Matsuhisa, of the eponymous Nobu restaurants. — Becca Endicott, ELLE Decor, "Robert De Niro's Hotel Chain Is About To Open An Adults-Only Location in Spain," 30 Jan. 2018 Hugh Russell, who’s owned and operated his eponymous Hartford Caribbean restaurant and bar for 13 years, opened The Russell Grab and Go next door at 101 Pratt St. on July 10. — Leeanne Griffin, courant.com, "The Russell Opens Jamaican Grab And Go On Pratt Street," 13 July 2018

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.