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 WebThe video posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) showed Taveras going up the red carpet in a white gown that featured a long train with what appeared to be the likeness of Jesus printed on it.—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 25 May 2024 OpenAI executives seemed to jokingly hint at the likeness around the launch.—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 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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