likeness implies a closer correspondence than similarity which often implies that things are merely somewhat alike.
a remarkable likeness to his late father
some similarity between the two cases
resemblance implies similarity chiefly in appearance or external qualities.
statements that bear little resemblance to the truth
similitude applies chiefly to correspondence between abstractions.
two schools of social thought showing points of similitude
analogy implies likeness or parallelism in relations rather than in appearance or qualities.
pointed out analogies to past wars
Examples of likeness in a Sentence
a stamp bearing the likeness of a president
There's some likeness between them.
There's an uncanny likeness between them.
Recent Examples on the WebNow, student-athletes across all sports can earn money off their name, image and likeness (NIL).—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 6 June 2024 This follows a change in the system where athletes could start earning money from their own name, image and likeness.—Justine Kenin, NPR, 30 May 2024 Writers feared that much of their work would be turned over to AI that would crank out passable scripts, while actors feared that their likenesses would be scanned by AI and then used in perpetuity by studios.—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 28 May 2024 College sports has undergone a breathtaking transformation in recent years with conference realignment, playoff expansion, unlimited transfers and name, image and likeness payments.—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for likeness
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'likeness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of likeness was
before the 12th century
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