In metadata a synonym ring or synset, is a group of data elements that are considered semantically equivalent for the purposes of information retrieval. These data elements are frequently found in different metadata registries. Although a group of terms can be considered equivalent, metadata registries store the synonyms at a central location called the preferred data element.
According to WordNet, a synset or synonym set is defined as a set of one or more synonyms that are interchangeable in some context without changing the truth value of the proposition in which they are embedded.
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The following are considered semantically equivalent and form a synonym ring:
foaf:person gjxdm:Person niem:Person sumo:Human cyc:Person umbel:Person
Note that each data element has two components:
A synonym ring can be expressed by a series of statements in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) using the classEquivalence or the propertyEquivalence or instance equivalence statement - the sameAs property.