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 Her presence here in this bar, a facsimile of every bar Laura had frequented in her twenties, served as a portal back to a period Laura could remember but no longer touch; the scenery was familiarly arranged, but the dreams, sensations, and illusions had vanished. Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 Director Adam Bhala Lough, frustrated in his attempts to interview the real Altman, chats with a digital facsimile of the tech mogul instead. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 May 2025 These superhero facsimiles somehow had better chemistry than their A-list counterparts. Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025 The president’s government efficiency adviser took the stage at a Green Bay, Wis., rally to hand out facsimiles of two $1 million checks to attendees, an effort that was challenged in court but upheld by a state court judge. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for facsimile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facsimile
Noun
  • The precision-engineering racing rig (offered in yellow, green, blue, and orange) puts the driver into a detailed replica of a racing cockpit.
    Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • The top of the 2024 replica ring doesn’t detach, but championship pendants can be purchased separately for $249 apiece.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • While training a frontier AI model is expensive, running additional copies of it is cheap, and the associated costs are rapidly getting cheaper.
    Luke Drago, Time, 30 May 2025
  • The Harry Potter series has sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, according to its U.S. publisher Scholastic, and has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for 843 weeks and counting.
    Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • The Ivy League institution previously housed the images, believed to be the earliest taken of enslaved African people in the United States, in the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 29 May 2025
  • Time and time again, the AI spit out images that were strikingly, unmistakably...
    John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Book a hang gliding lesson or pilot a reproduction of the glider the Wright brothers flew in 1902.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 30 May 2025
  • The reproduction of the gallows is certain to evoke strong emotions for visitors.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • The twins, who traveled from Arizona alongside Stinnett’s wife, are angling for a revolutionary twist where the two will be cast on the same season without the rest of the contestants knowing their relationship.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2025
  • Its twin, Universal Terra Luna, is a bit further, diagonal from the park.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Yet there’s something about this mysterious, tender picture—a story of grief, and almost-renewal—that’s not easy to shake.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 June 2025
  • Prince Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet turned 4 on June 4, and the Duchess of Sussex led the celebrations by posting two previously unseen pictures of her and Lilibet to Instagram.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • The Grand Army of the Republic The Republic's clone army, under the leadership of Jedi generals, faces off against the Separatists' droids.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 May 2025
  • Over the course of an hour, the Stand-Up Emmy Roundtable covered everything from clones to cocaine to cancellation.
    Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Even without all that, L.A. has a raft of problems on its hands, and the close-up at the moment is not a pretty portrait.
    Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
  • Obama was also ridiculed for wearing a sleeveless dress for her first official portrait, though Jacqueline Kennedy sported the same look during her time in the White House without backlash.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 6 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Facsimile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facsimile. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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