eponymous

adjective

epon·y·mous | \ i-ˈpä-nə-məs

, e- \

Definition of eponymous

: of, relating to, or being the person or thing for whom or which something is named : of, relating to, or being an eponym

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about eponymous

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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 In 2019, his eponymous brand partnered with Regal Assets to unveil the first functional Bitcoin watch known as the Vanguard Encrypto. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, "Franck Muller’s Newest Watch Doubles as a Bitcoin Wallet, and You’ll Need Cryptocurrency to Buy It," 24 Feb. 2021 Pat McGrath has created some of the most iconic runway looks for the likes of Christian Dior and Givenchy for decades — and with the launch of her eponymous beauty brand in 2015, McGrath made her artistry a lot more accessible. — Tanisha Pina, Forbes, "27 Black-Owned Beauty Brands To Add To Your Top Shelf," 24 Feb. 2021 Duff was the one and only Lizzie McGuire for Disney, and the eponymous show spawned a very profitable TV empire and feature film for the studio. — Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, "Disney and Nickelodeon Stars Gone Pop: A Ranking," 25 Jan. 2021 Gurung, who was born in Singapore and raised in Nepal and India, founded his eponymous label in 2009. — Barry Samaha, Harper's BAZAAR, "Vice President Kamala Harris Wears a Polished Prabal Gurung Look to the Inaugural Prayer Service," 21 Jan. 2021 Selena Gomez launched Rare Beauty, Lauren Conrad released her own eponymous line, and Pharrell put out skin-care line called Humanrace. — Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, "Halsey Is Launching A Beauty Brand — & It’s Even Cooler Than You’d Expect," 5 Jan. 2021 Before founding her eponymous line, Muaddi worked as a stylist, perfecting looks in the pages of L’Uomo Vogue and GQ. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "How Amina Muaddi, Hollywood’s Favorite Footwear Designer, Masters Eclectic Style," 10 Dec. 2020 Drawing on her African background and her love of fashion, Madueke, 26, set out to launch her own eponymous fashion line, which went live on her website and on Instagram in June. — Sara Holzman, Marie Claire, "Whitney Madueke Re-envisions Traditional Nigerian Fabrics for a New Generation," 30 Oct. 2020 Maxwell, who was born in Texas, bases his eponymous brand in New York City. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "First Lady Jill Biden Wears Brandon Maxwell on Day One in the White House," 21 Jan. 2021

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.