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
Candy Campbell, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2026
Leaving town is tantamount to doctors and nurses closing hospitals during an epidemic.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
What gives a being that’s tantamount to a jovial blank slate such staying power?
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
To not oblige would be tantamount to confirming their fears that what had happened to me was the worst possible thing.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tantamount
Cite this Entry
“Tantamount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tantamount. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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tantamount
adjective
