Synonym in Malay and Arabic: A Comparative Study in the Aspect of Definition and Importance

The study discusses synonym in Malay and Arabic with a general focus on its definition and importance. In addition to that, this study also aims to observe the differences and similarities that exist in both languages when it comes to defining or determining the definition of synonym done by Malay and Arabic scholars and the need of synonyms for both languages and nations. This study is a descriptive literature review that is using contrastive analysis. The result of the study shows that Malay and Arabic differ in selecting the basis for synonyms in the aspect of definition but both languages put ‘the similarity in general meaning’ as the main criteria in determining two synonymous words. On the other hand, the importance of synonym in Malay and Arabic is not much different. In Arabic, however, the need for synonym seems to be more apparent in the literary field especially in poetry that emphasizes qafiah and verse. On the contrary, the need for synonym in Malay is more significant when it comes to maintaining the manners and politeness in speech.