What Does Eponymous Mean? | Definition & Examples

Eponymous is an adjective used to describe a person or thing after which something is named (such as an inventor, discoverer, creator, or founder). It can also be used to describe the thing itself that has been named after someone or something.

In literary contexts, ‘eponymous’ is often used to describe works that have been named after their protagonist (e.g., Jane Eyre).

Examples: ‘Eponymous’ in a sentence
The Victorian era includes the full reign of the eponymous Queen Victoria.

Edmund Halley was the first to calculate the orbit of the eponymous Halley’s comet.

Don Quixote is the eponymous hero of Miguel de Cervantes’s famous novel.

Led Zeppelin’s eponymous debut album is seen as a landmark in hard rock.

A Scribbr Grammar Check can help ensure you use words like ‘eponymous’ correctly in your writing.

Make your writing flawless in 1 upload

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

upload-your-document-ai-proofreader

Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.

Upload my document

Frequently asked questions

What are some synonyms of ‘eponymous’?

Some words that are synonyms or near synonyms of ‘eponymous‘ include:

  • Eponymic
  • Nominative
  • Self-titled
  • Self-named
  • Titular

Our Paraphrasing Tool can help you find even more synonyms for ‘eponymous’.

How do I pronounce ‘eponymous’?

Eponymous” has four syllables. It’s pronounced with an emphasis on the second syllable: [i-pon-uh-muss].

What is an eponym?

‘Eponym’ is a noun used to refer to the person or thing after which something is named (e.g., the inventor Louis Braille). It can also be used to refer to the word or name itself (e.g., the writing system ‘braille’). It’s related to the adjectiveeponymous‘.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Ryan, E. (2024, November 07). What Does Eponymous Mean? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 9 December 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/definition/eponymous-meaning/

Is this article helpful?
Eoghan Ryan

Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's, MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students to improve their research and writing.