Synonymy
The semantic relationship between words with similar or equivalent meanings, such as 'happy' and 'pleased'. Perfect synonymy is rare; near-synonyms carry different connotations or usage contexts.
Real World
When Tesco uses 'Finest' and Aldi uses 'Specially Selected' for their premium ranges, both brands exploit near-synonyms — choosing words with slightly different connotations of luxury to position their products distinctly.
Exam Focus
Discuss connotation differences between synonyms, not just shared denotation — mark schemes reward analysis of subtle meaning distinctions.
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