Same, a.
Etymology: [AS. same. adv.; akin to OS. sama, samo, adv., OHG. sam, a., sama, adv., Icel. samr, a., Sw. samme, samma, Dan. samme, Goth. sama, Russ. samui, Gr. sama, Gr. simul at the same time, similis like, and E. some, a., -some. sq. root191. Cf. Anomalous, Assemble, Homeopathy, Homily, Seem, v. i., Semi-, Similar, Some.]
1. Not different or other; not another or others; identical; unchanged. Thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. Ps. cii. 27.
2. Of like kind, species, sort, dimensions, or the like; not differing in character or in the quality or qualities compared; corresponding; not discordant; similar; like. The ethereal vigor is in all the same. Dryden.
3. Just mentioned, or just about to be mentioned. What ye know, the same do I know. Job. xiii. 2. Do but think how well the same he spends, Who spends his blood his country to relieve. Daniel.
Note: Same is commonly preceded by the, this, or that and is often used substantively as in the citations above. In a comparative use it is followed by as or with. Bees like the same odors as we do. Lubbock. [He] held the same political opinions with his illustrious friend. Macaulay.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for same; he lists it under alike, synonymous.
Where he writes about it:
Substances are homogeneous which are made up of elements of the same kind, or which are the same in structure. — from alike
To say "this is the identical man," is to say not merely that he is similar to the one I have in mind, but that he is the very same person. — from alike
Synonymous (Gr. syn, together, and onyma, name) strictly signifies being interchangeable names for the same thing, or being one of two or more interchangeable names for the same thing; to say that two words are synonymous is strictly to say they are alike, equivalent, identical, or the same in meaning; but the use of synonymous in this strict sense is somewhat rare, and rather with reference to statements than to words. — from synonymous