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
Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 13 May 2025
Of course the quality, complexity and consistency of the drinks is tantamount.
—Alissa Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Listening devices are everywhere; even planning to make a speech, at this point, is tantamount to showing up and waving a blaster on the Senate floor.
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 7 May 2025
Wade claimed that in the basketball world, his height, 6 foot 4, was tantamount to Brunson’s.
—Dave Itzkoff, New York Times, 4 May 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 20 May. 2025.
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tantamount
adjective
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