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
Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
The idea the two-time defending champs are tantamount to underdogs to make history is itself a compelling story -- good for the league.
—Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
There’s also a belief that three phases of the game should impact the result, and that putting an offense on the opponent’s 25-yard line is tantamount to an NHL shootout.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
His framing instead relied on the dubious proposition that drug smuggling is tantamount to violent aggression.
—Jacob Sullum, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 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 19 Oct. 2025.
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tantamount
adjective
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