adj

tantamount

TAN-tuh-mownt

adj

Equal in effect or seriousness to something else, even if not literally the same.

"Ignoring the warning was tantamount to admitting guilt."

"His silence was tantamount to a confession."

How to Use Tantamount

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAs good as; effectively the same as, even if not stated outright.

Memory tip

Always followed by "to", never "with" or "as".

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

tantamount to treason tantamount to an admission

more tantamount comparative, tantamounted past tense, tantamounts plural, tantamounts singular, most tantamount superlative

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Ignoring the warning was _____ to admitting guilt.

Borrowed in the early 1600s, most likely from Italian tanto montare ("to amount to as much"), or from an Anglo-Norman phrase with the same meaning.

count mount amount account recount dismount discount viscount paramount