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selfsame

selfsame

3 7.7
The exact same person or thing as before
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɛlfseɪm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : mismo
  • She noticed the selfsame details in both paintings, making it difficult to choose her favorite.
  • the selfsame bodies

Examples

  • The twins wore the selfsame outfits to the party, which confused many of their friends.

  • My mother and I laugh with the selfsame voice.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • We met on this selfsame road t'other day... and I said good night... and you replied, "Good night, Sir John."

  • We like the selfsame things: buckets of rocks, wind, dog licks.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Why, 'tis the selfsame peasant maid who won the heart of our noble prince but yesterday.

  • Although the God's word parted us, even separately we have come to find the selfsame path to immortality!

    Fiction book (1994)
  • We declare that he is not split or divided into two persons, but that there is one selfsame only-begotten Son, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Academic text (1992)
  • I was staring into the eyes of the selfsame dragon; he had alit upon the ledge behind me and now stood blocking my way.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • And now your son's sinking into the selfsame bog that's swallowing you.

  • After several years apart, they found themselves at the selfsame café where they used to meet.

Synonyms

same
vsselfsame
1.0

Exactly like the person or thing mentioned before

is about exact equality rather than just referring back
identical
vsselfsame
237 2.9

Being exactly the same in every detail as another

focuses on being that exact person or thing rather than detail
one and the same
vsselfsame
34 3.9

Exactly the same person or thing

is a direct term stating exact match without added emphasis

Surface Forms

selfsame positive

Morphology

selfsame = self + same (transparent) = self + same

The sense 'exactly the same' is directly built from 'self' (emphatic/intensive) + 'same' (identical), so learners can derive the meaning from the components.

Etymology

The word selfsame is made from self and same, where self means 'the person' and same means 'not different'. So, selfsame means exactly the very same person or thing.