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

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 identical His peripheral stats like WHIP and FIP were virtually identical to last year's, but sometimes, bad luck gets in the way. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 Nearly identical proportions of Democrats and left-leaning independents (85%) and Republicans and right-leaning independents (86%) said that violence is growing. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025 Police reportedly found a near-identical sweater during a raid of his San Francisco home. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025 With the identical closing costs of 1 point and $4,500 the principal and interest payment is $4,417. Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for identical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for identical
Adjective
  • Lorincz called 911 for a second time around that same time.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Enough of that same classic cocktail to serve a crowd?
    Editors of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With national debt now closing in on $38 trillion, Macquarie’s research found that since 2018, governments (irrespective of party) have added to the deficit at greater levels than the historical average under similar economic conditions.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The concept sells niches to hold urns, similar to buying a cemetery plot for a casket.
    Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Chen Ming, a researcher at the Centre for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research and a co-author of the study, explained that the impact released energy equivalent to 600,000 tonnes of TNT – comparable to the destructive force of 40 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Intel's adjusted earnings of 23 cents per share was not comparable to analyst estimates.
    Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • To affordably resolve the vast space between the Sun and the planets, researchers divide the space into large cubes—analogous to two-dimensional pixels in a camera.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Last year’s analogous doubleheader averaged just shy of 3 million viewers on TNT, which translates to an 87% lift for NBC’s coverage.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).
    Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The sedan delivers an electric-only range of about 80 miles and achieves fuel consumption equivalent to roughly 84 miles per gallon, offering a total driving range of 1,335 miles.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Identical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identical. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on identical

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