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 Working for mediocre Luthor facsimile Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn), Pryor's computer genius Gus Gorman fabricates an artificial kryptonite, which — like the red variant in the comics — turns Superman bad. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 July 2025 This isn’t a facsimile of a woman’s wandering mind seen through a speculum by a man, but a deep recounting. Jane Alison june 17, Literary Hub, 17 June 2025 Playing as a hi-res facsimile of Keanu Reeves on a Nintendo feels kind of revelatory in that regard. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025 But for Youn Park, whose Little Orbit corner store is located in a facsimile of an old ticket booth at the transportation center, CATS’ decision to end the leases was sad. Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 31 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for facsimile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facsimile
Noun
  • Creator @tinalemac shared her step-by-step process for transforming a plain IKEA mirror into a high-end replica using nothing more than tin foil and air-dry clay.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Acutis' tomb in Assisi—his body displayed in a wax replica and dressed in casual clothes and sneakers—has become a major pilgrimage site, and relics associated with him have toured internationally.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The panel's agenda for Tuesday's meeting includes a copy of the citizen complaint.
    Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The worst was yet to come, in the shape of the Baines note, a copy of which was forwarded to the Queen.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • At the event Nvidia speakers particularly focused on enterprise inference applications, where AI hopes to achieve its return on investment as pointed out in the slide image below.
    Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The comments came as New Zealand Police released images on Tuesday showing a campsite set up in Waitomo, which is believed to be where Phillips and his children had been staying before he was fatally shot.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Schnuelle had a degree in veterinary medicine with areas of clinical emphasis in dairy production medicine, bovine embryology, and canine reproduction, according to Auburn University's website.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Her father took her to the museum; her mother bought her reproduction posters, books, and art supplies.
    News Desk, Artforum, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The twins have increasingly relied on silhouettes that consist of a strip tube top or bandeau top, a tiny miniskirt, and a long, layered jacket, and once again, both brothers are doing the same thing.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Though Twinless is a movie all about twins, writer-director and star James Sweeney is not a twin himself.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Now, what’s wrong with that picture?
    Jamie McIntyre, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • There was a sharp spike in job cuts during August, new data shows, as employers shed staff due to a worsening economic picture.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But the clues as to what was happening were written on the images, allowing mission personnel to experiment on a clone of the camera, in a laboratory setting.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
  • By offering personalized engagement, clones build audiences, generate mailing lists, and drive product sales in a way traditional media cannot.
    Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The seemingly unassuming coming-of-ager – a sunny portrait of happy high-school adolescence in Seoul – builds in complexity as a vision of livewire student’s Joo-in’s courage and resilience in the face of trauma, unknown and then misinterpreted by her equally young classmates.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The portrait museum has a dizzying array of galleries depicting everything from Old Hollywood to 17th-century Indigenous Americans.
    BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Facsimile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facsimile. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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