semblance

noun

sem·​blance ˈsem-blən(t)s 

1

a

: outward and often specious appearance or show : form

… wrapped in a semblance of composure …

—Harry Hervey

b

: modicum

… has been struggling to get some semblance of justice for his people …

—Bayard Rustin

2

: aspect, countenance

3

a

: a phantasmal form : apparition

b

: image, likeness

4

: actual or apparent resemblance

her story bears some semblance to the truth

Synonyms of semblance

• pretense
• facade
• guise
• show
• pose
• act

Examples of semblance in a Sentence

tried to project some semblance of confidence even though public speaking terrified her

a used-car dealer with only a semblance of honesty

Recent Examples on the Web

The guards still have keys, but Riemer said this gesture offers a semblance of privacy. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 11 Nov. 2026

After returning home from serving 13 months during the Vietnam War, Jim Chancellor said some semblance of his life before serving returned, like seeing family and friends and wearing jeans and a t-shirt. — Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026

The latter role was invented by the British government to replace the former and allowed the monarch to maintain a semblance of global prestige while helping to facilitate the process of decolonization. — Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 2026

Panelists were handpicked and invited for a single meeting to share their own data, analysis, and conclusions, unmoored from any semblance of collaborative consensus and, too often, scientific rigor. — C. Joseph Ross Daval, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English semblance, semblaunce "outward appearance, mere appearance, show, facial expression, likeness," borrowed from Anglo-French, "likeness, form, demeanor, resemblance," from sembler "to resemble, seem, appear" (going back to Latin simulāre, similāre "to pretend, assume the appearance of by one's conduct, imitate") + -ance, -aunce -ance — more at simulate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for semblance

• resemblance

Kids Definition

semblance

noun

sem·​blance ˈsem-blən(t)s 

1

: outward and often misleading appearance or show

2

: one that resembles another : likeness, image