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 Here are five ways to get a facsimile of a famous French wine style here on domestic soil this fall. Justin Goldman, AFAR Media, 19 Sep. 2025 What's more, their stage show from the time period included a gigantic facsimile of the famous stones. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025 The huge old building that once housed hundreds of newspaper employees has become a modular space where a facsimile of journalism is practiced. Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025 Other asks might include a travelling exhibition or a facsimile made of the original. Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for facsimile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facsimile
Noun
  • In his fourth professional season, Watson’s offensive role off the bench is likely to expand beyond the baseline, where he’s been used in the past as both a corner spot-up shooter and an Aaron Gordon dunker spot replica.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Not a full-size kitchen, of course, but rather a miniature replica of a kitchen, a tiny kitchen with a tiny table where two tiny dolls sit, blank-eyed and smiling and ready to eat an invisible meal.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Costco, though, was a shrewd recombination of what had come before rather than a straight copy.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • While those films were burned, what the West never knew was that those were not the only copies of these films as Hesse had stored the vast majority of the originals safely in London, away from the political upheaval.
    Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Its images have illuminated how galaxies form, evolve and recycle their material through generations of star birth and death.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Cranston was among those who raised concerns when the initial launch of the AI video platform allowed users to create his image without his permission.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The collection included reproductions of uniforms worn by each profession and Johnson’s modernized interpretations, enhanced with waterproofing, durability and thermal regulation.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Fabio’s journey to understand Angus begins with a reproduction glimpsed on a phone and then takes him to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to the home of Betty Angus, Patrick’s mother.
    Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The birth will be in San Diego, about 250 miles south of Santa Barbara, and as with the twins, McAnally and Baum plan to be present for it.
    Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Rather than running the cars on the track with different tires, transmissions, and weather conditions to find the recipe for optimal performance, teams are creating digital twins of entire systems and modeling them with simulations.
    Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The big-picture story isn’t any better.
    Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Nearly six months later, though, a slightly different picture is emerging; ironically, a glance at Rotten Tomatoes — more of which later — shows that the film is now firmly rated just about Fresh with critics and audiences alike, with approval scores of 69% and 65%, respectively.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The labels have for the most part taken a cautiously experimental approach to AI music in the past several years, granting licenses to a few companies to create tools like AI voice clones or music generators, but suing several developers who didn’t get licenses for their models.
    Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Delphi’s digital clones embody that vision.
    William Jones, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • His portraits poked a hole into the romantic mythology of the American West, telling instead a story of poverty and struggle.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
  • One of the most moving stories in the film is the portrait of a father and son bonding over their love of geek culture.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Facsimile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facsimile. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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