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 England, in theory, have players who can offer a decent facsimile of this (Elliot Anderson and Ezri Konsa, in particular), but Tuchel seems inclined to build his England squad around striker and captain Harry Kane over anyone else. The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 13 May 2026 Handwritten Song Manuscripts by Paul McCartney – A collection of facsimiles of handwritten lyrics by McCartney throughout the 1970s. Jem Aswad, Variety, 12 May 2026 Yesteryear is narrated by a woman named Natalie Heller Mills, a Ballerina Farm facsimile who is pregnant with her sixth child at the beginning of the novel, and whose pixel-perfect online life as @YesteryearRanch is essentially all a lie. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026 The facsimile was originally planned to replace the work a month into the show, since the piece, an oil transfer and watercolor on paper, is extremely light-sensitive. Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for facsimile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facsimile
Noun
  • The company doesn’t break out sales of individual products, but as of Thursday, Nike’s website had sold out of most adult sizes in both of the USMNT’s home and away jerseys, including both authentic and replica editions.
    Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
  • Another replica flag steeped in American history was aboard the International Space Station from November 2014 through June 2015.
    Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • Across villages in Punjab, Sikh organizations, local activists and residents have begun organizing community screenings using copies that have circulated online.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, a local nonprofit supporting immigrants in Kansas City, said Thursday that a manager at La Fontanella was told that agents brought a search warrant but that no witnesses or employees saw a copy.
    Ilana Arougheti July 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • The flag was also draped over Khamenei’s casket in images published last week by his official X account.
    Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Rodríguez Castro, the person said, projects a similar tough-guy image.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • The weapon of choice to keep the screwworm at bay is a plant in Pacora, Panama, that has been continually churning out sterile flies, which mate with wild female flies to halt reproduction.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
  • Hormones such as estrogen and thyroid hormone are chemical messengers that regulate growth, metabolism, reproduction and many other essential functions through the endocrine system.
    Brad Reisfeld, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • This picture taken on March 26, 2026 shows an oil tanker unloading crude oil at a port in Yantai, in China's eastern Shandong province.
    Justina Lee, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • Your parents’ and grandparents’ faded photo family albums probably have similar pictures too.
    Tracy Stone-Manning, Denver Post, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • The twins announced their Netflix partnership with, naturally, a YouTube video.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026
  • The iMETRO Dynamic Simulation creates a high-fidelity digital twin of NASA Johnson Space Center’s iMETRO research facility, enabling researchers worldwide to develop, validate, and refine intravehicular robotic systems in a virtual environment.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
Noun
  • Much of the film is shot-for-shot, line of dialogue-by-line of dialogue a veritable clone.
    Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 8 July 2026
  • Will today’s celebrities soon be sending their AI clones into our laptops to chat with us, advise us, keep us company?
    Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • Colorful embroidery decorated Bluemarble’s washed blue jeans, while printed portraits were seen on Undercover’s jeans and key chains dangled from Vetements’ jeans with unraveled hems.
    Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 9 July 2026
  • Monks and ordinary Tibetans are forced to replace portraits of previous Dalai Lamas and even traditional thangkas with portraits of Xi Jinping and Mao Zedong.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Facsimile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facsimile. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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