Which term describes the relationship of similarity of meaning between words?

• A. Syntagmatic relations
• B. Systemic knowledge
• C. Synonymy
• D. Transactional language

Answer: (C)

Synonymy is the term for when two or more words share similar meanings. It captures the idea that different words can express the same or very close concepts, allowing them to replace each other in many contexts—for example, big and large often convey the same sense of size. Yet true synonymy isn’t absolute; subtle differences in nuance, formality, or typical collocations can make one word a better fit than another in a given sentence.

The other options describe different ideas. Syntagmatic relations refer to how words combine in sequences and phrases, focusing on order and co-occurrence rather than meaning similarity. Systemic knowledge involves understanding the language system and the options available within it, not the specific relationship between two word meanings. Transactional language deals with language used to accomplish a task or exchange, emphasizing function over the semantic relationship between words.