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 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 The 27-year-old will never be considered in the same tier as Thompson as a shooter, but Melton sure did his best facsimile in the Warriors’ victory Wednesday night over the Bucks. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for facsimile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facsimile
Noun
  • The Hennepin County Attorney's Office charged 54-year-old James Reginal Willis and 28-year-old Garrett Christopher Willis Tuesday with two felony counts each of threats of violence and displaying replica firearms in connection to the confrontations on March 3.
    Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinstated the Army pilots responsible for flying a pair of helicopters by Kid Rock’s White House replica mansion in Nashville.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • When the investigator asked for a spreadsheet documenting removals, mentioned in testimony by several supervisors, the agency’s then-adult protection director in Miami emailed a copy.
    Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Obtain a digital copy at that same site by clicking on the online link.
    Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The images of that crash were shared widely online and caught Noah Williams' attention, triggering painful memories and taking him back to the day his own life changed forever.
    Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Iranian officials told civilians to be on the lookout for survivors ​and have flooded social media with images that purport to show wreckage from the aircraft.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The results show that reproduction could pose a real challenge for future space settlers, but it still can’t be ruled out as impossible.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The study, from researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia, is just the latest addition to a growing pile of evidence that suggests mammalian reproduction in space might be quite complicated, if not impossible.
    Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • With Young looking to earn a long-term extension and push the Panthers forward in the NFC playoff picture, Pickett’s insight and experience could be valuable assets during the upcoming campaign.
    Mike Kaye March 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Well, that definitely paints a vivid picture.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Self-healing concrete fits in well with ideas around sensor technology and digital twins – in which cracks in a structure could serve as a warning of damage and then repair themselves, needing little more than periodic checking.
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
  • In a cruel twist of fate, Cameron had to watch as his twin, Cayden Boozer, made the turnover that sealed the Blue Devils’ fate.
    Tim Rohan, NBC news, 30 Mar. 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
  • The world demanded a simplified portrait; John provided it, and, after a while, the two merged.
    Jeffrey Eugenides, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Rector Simon Mainwaring poses for a portrait in the library at Egleston Hall at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Atlanta on Monday, March 23, 2026.
    Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Facsimile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facsimile. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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