user254: We currently have tags samatha and meditation-samatha.
They each have one or two dozen topics. Assuming we don't want to merge them (because it is a type of meditation and a word which people will search for), should they at least be defined as synonyms?
What about jhana (three dozen topics) which is described as a type of samatha meditation: should that be a synonym too?
What about samadhi too (see also What is the difference between samadhi and samatha?), should that be a synonym of samatha?
And there's also mindfulness (seven dozen questions)?

A separate topic, what about meditation-metta and metta-bhavana and loving-kindness, should these be synonyms of each other?

user-1: 
Samatha and Meditation-Samatha should be made synonyms
Jhana do belong to Samatha meditation but I would not mark them as synonyms since one can ask questions regarding Jhana alone such as which mental factors arise in each Jhana or more specific what nature the mental factors have, e.g. Vitakka and Vichara. Also the Jhanas can correspond to the different realms, e.g. a human being who has attained the Jhanas, can experience the mental state of a Brahma living in the higher realms. That is a question solely on Jhana and Realms and may not include Samatha Meditation if the practical/methodological part is left out.
Samadhi and Samatha should not be synonyms as Samatha refers to the overall practice of "concentration, serenity, tranquility meditation", while Samadhi refers to a particular kind of one-pointedness of mind. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi gives the example of "a gourmet sitting down to a meal, an assassin about to slay his victim, a soldier on the battlefield - these all act with a concentrated mind, but their concentration cannot be characterized as samadhi. Samadhi is exclusively wholesome one-pointedness, the concentration in a wholesome state of mind". 
Mindfulness.. I honestly don't know what to do with this term. Its being used for so many different things nowadays. I feel that the meaning of the word has been exhausted. I know many teachers simply refrain from using the word since its being connected with stuff that is inherently non-mindfulness, such as commercialism. On Buddhism SE we should use the word in its true meaning, i.e. the function of Mindfulness, i.e. to clear the cognitive ground for objects and to practice bare-attention of mind, meaning to deliberately keep the mind in the present moment.
Meditation-metta, Metta-bhavana and Loving-Kindness should be made synonyms.

Bare in mind that this my own opinion and not necessarily the right one.

254: <p>We currently have tags <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/samatha" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;samatha&#39;" rel="tag">samatha</a> and <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/meditation-samatha" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;meditation-samatha&#39;" rel="tag">meditation-samatha</a>.</p>

<p>They each have one or two dozen topics. Assuming we don't want to merge them (because it <em>is</em> a type of meditation <em>and</em> a word which people will search for), should they at least be defined as synonyms?</p>

<p>What about <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/jhana" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;jhana&#39;" rel="tag">jhana</a> (three dozen topics) which is described as a type of samatha meditation: should that be a synonym too?</p>

<p>What about <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/samadhi" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;samadhi&#39;" rel="tag">samadhi</a> too (see also <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/9294/254">What is the difference between samadhi and samatha?</a>), should that be a synonym of samatha?</p>

<p>And there's also <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/mindfulness" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;mindfulness&#39;" rel="tag">mindfulness</a> (seven dozen questions)?</p>

<hr>

<p>A separate topic, what about <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/meditation-metta" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;meditation-metta&#39;" rel="tag">meditation-metta</a> and <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/metta-bhavana" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;metta-bhavana&#39;" rel="tag">metta-bhavana</a> and <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/loving-kindness" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;loving-kindness&#39;" rel="tag">loving-kindness</a>, should these be synonyms of each other?</p>
 -1: <ul>
<li><p><em>Samatha and Meditation-Samatha</em> should be made synonyms</p></li>
<li><p>Jhana do belong to Samatha meditation but I would not mark them as synonyms since one can ask questions regarding Jhana alone such as which mental factors arise in each Jhana or more specific what nature the mental factors have, e.g. Vitakka and Vichara. Also the Jhanas can correspond to the different realms, e.g. a human being who has attained the Jhanas, can experience the mental state of a Brahma living in the higher realms. That is a question solely on Jhana and Realms and may not include Samatha Meditation if the practical/methodological part is left out.</p></li>
<li><p>Samadhi and Samatha should not be synonyms as Samatha refers to the overall practice of "concentration, serenity, tranquility meditation", while Samadhi refers to a particular kind of <em>one-pointedness</em> of mind. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi gives the example of <em>"a gourmet sitting down to a meal, an assassin about to slay his victim, a soldier on the battlefield - these all act with a concentrated mind, but their concentration cannot be characterized as samadhi. Samadhi is exclusively wholesome one-pointedness, the concentration in a wholesome state of mind"</em>. </p></li>
<li><p>Mindfulness.. I honestly don't know what to do with this term. Its being used for so many different things nowadays. I feel that the meaning of the word has been exhausted. I know many teachers simply refrain from using the word since its being connected with stuff that is inherently <em>non-mindfulness</em>, such as commercialism. On Buddhism SE we should use the word in its true meaning, i.e. the function of Mindfulness, i.e. to clear the cognitive ground for objects and to practice bare-attention of mind, meaning to deliberately keep the mind in the present moment.</p></li>
<li><p><em>Meditation-metta, Metta-bhavana and Loving-Kindness</em> should be made synonyms.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Bare in mind that this my own opinion and not necessarily the right one.</p>
