Synonyms of identical

identical

adjective

ī-ˈden-ti-kəl 

1

as in same

being one and not another

both families wanted the identical puppy and weren't accepting the argument that its littermates were just as good

Synonyms & Similar Words

• same
• selfsame
• very

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• different
• other
• another
• various
• dissimilar
• distinct
• unlike
• distinctive
• distinguishable
• diverse
• varied
• disparate
• differentiable
• discriminable
• unalike

2

as in similar

resembling another in every respect

identical dresses whose only difference is a designer label that fetches a high price

Synonyms & Similar Words

• similar
• comparable
• same
• analogous
• equivalent
• indistinguishable
• equal
• duplicate
• synonymous
• matching
• coequal
• corresponding
• such
• parallel
• much of a muchness
• like
• even
• alike
• coordinate
• tantamount
• akin
• correspondent
• look-alike
• suchlike

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• different
• other
• dissimilar
• distinct
• unlike
• distinctive
• distinguishable
• diverse
• nonidentical
• disparate
• distant
• unalike
• differentiable
• various
• discriminable
• varied
• miscellaneous
• sundry
• divers

Synonym Chooser

How is the word identical different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of identical are equal, equivalent, same, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

In what contexts can equal take the place of identical?

In some situations, the words equal and identical are roughly equivalent. However, equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

When is equivalent a more appropriate choice than identical?

The synonyms equivalent and identical are sometimes interchangeable, but equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

How are the words same and selfsame related as synonyms of identical?

Same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.

took the same route

derived from the selfsame source

How does the word very relate to other synonyms for identical?

Very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of identical

Assessment caps allow homeowners who purchased decades ago to pay taxes on homes well below current market values, while new buyers can face much larger bills for nearly identical homes. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 18 June 2026

Even if the cells are notionally identical — both skin cells, say — exactly what the gene-regulatory machinery is up to at any moment is never quite the same in any two of them. —Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 18 June 2026

An identical 12-round draft would be started for international prospects, a proposal the union has rejected in the past. —Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026

Ultimately, fairness doesn’t mean identical treatment. —Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 18 June 2026