Definition of facsimilenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun facsimile differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of facsimile are copy, duplicate, replica, and reproduction. While all these words mean "a thing made to closely resemble another," facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

When is it sensible to use copy instead of facsimile?

In some situations, the words copy and facsimile are roughly equivalent. However, copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When can duplicate be used instead of facsimile?

The synonyms duplicate and facsimile are sometimes interchangeable, but duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When might replica be a better fit than facsimile?

Although the words replica and facsimile have much in common, replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details, but not always in the same scale.

a replica of the Mayflower
miniature replicas of classic cars

In what contexts can reproduction take the place of facsimile?

While in some cases nearly identical to facsimile, reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of facsimile Two games later, a facsimile materialized. Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026 McCarthy moved to his current studio in 2012, and around then, bought land out in the Tehachapi Mountains to serve as Wild West backdrops, not unlike the early film studios buying up tumbleweed stables in Topanga to serve as facsimiles of one-horse towns to shoot westerns. Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026 The idea is that future visitors will be able to ask Schneider — or rather, her digital facsimile — these and dozens of other questions face to face, with AI making the exchange conversational. Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 23 Feb. 2026 To go from a franchise that enjoyed a 30-year continuum of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers at QB to a franchise that has spent almost as long looking for a failing to find the next Marino or even an acceptable facsimile. Greg Cote january 22, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for facsimile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facsimile
Noun
  • And as far as attention to detail, each follow in the footsteps of Amalgam’s miniature Formula 1 replicas and its previous partnerships with Maranello, which include a diminutive 12Cilindri.
    Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2026
  • O’Leary’s just been peppering the house manager with questions about her business and admiring the replica of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man that dominates the entryway.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Martinez added that the amendment is not needed, as officials with the Maryland Department of Health say that original copies are already kept at the state level when there are changes made to those documents.
    Danielle J. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2026
  • See our top athletes from the 2025-26 boys swimming season, and print your own copy of the PDF below.
    Boston Herald staff, Boston Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Crew shares first images of Earth from capsule An image of Earth taken by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman inside the Orion capsule on April 3, 2026.
    Mark Osborne, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
  • There’s nothing fancy about a big, square screen that sits upstage of the circular playing area, but the subtlety in which the images and mood flows through the screen greatly enhance the storytelling.
    David John Chávez, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • For classics that lack CAD designs, the cars can be scanned to make computer models for reproduction.
    Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The Uncertainty Factor for the Grizzly Bear Cubs FWP researcher Cecily Costello noted that the timing of the birth aligns with typical grizzly reproduction patterns, as females generally have their first cubs between ages five and six.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The cover girl is Ger van Braam, an Indonesian woman who subscribed to The Ladder and sent her picture to the editor in search of kinship.
    Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Thing is, those other 499 pictures didn’t look like that incredible Erceg shot.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • For the Gerle twins, playing together gets better with age.
    Sam Brief, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Five sets of twins are being cared for at once at a Baltimore NICU.
    Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The clone in question is a nod to an ongoing TikTok conspiracy theory that suggests Gomez was replaced by a body double or a clone after her kidney transplant in 2017.
    Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The plot twist comes after a fateful rover crash, when the true nature of the operation is revealed; Sam is really a clone that's replaced every three years when his contract ends.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Centred on intimate portraits of women rebuilding their lives, the film follows individuals shaping a future in the shadow of a shared past.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2026
  • After his death while attempting a wingsuit flight in 2015, his friends began putting together footage that paints a portrait of a complex man.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Facsimile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facsimile. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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