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 Even in the days when it was known as the Busch Series, the key to successful lower-tier series was having premier events and new race tracks that weren’t identical to the Cup Series’ schedule. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 19 Apr. 2025 With both women working in the entertainment industry since the 1990s, countless others have gotten their identical names confused over the years. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2025 Jordan’s Smoke and Stack are identical down to the mustache and in alignment on nearly everything. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025 Unlike European producers who moved toward clonal selection—using genetically identical cuttings to plant vineyards—Argentine growers continued using traditional massal selection, preserving a broader range of genetic material. Rachel King, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for identical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for identical
Adjective
  • Colón-Zayas won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series that same year.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
  • That same year, István Hegedűs, a former politician who had served in parliament alongside Orbán, read an article in a pro-Fidesz newspaper which implied that only the Party’s generosity enabled C.E.U. to stay in Budapest.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Wracked with guilt over Su-ho’s injuries, Si-eun enters Weak Hero Class 2 determined not to let another friend suffer a similar, gruesome fate.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Three other states – Louisiana, New Hampshire and Wyoming – have enacted similar laws in recent months.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • If Villa prepare assiduously to burst out of the blocks at home, then the inverse is often true on the road, comparable to a marathon runner who is unsure of their durability in the last few miles.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • The past two comparable moves in this small-investor proxy, in November 2022 and March 2022, led to stiff near-term declines in the basket within weeks.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This is analogous to our preventative and detective cybersecurity tools.
    James Blake, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Efforts to deny the indigenous peoples of the Andes access to coca, as Smithsonian anthropologist Catherine Allen has written, are not analogous to outlawing, for example, beer in Germany, coffee in the Middle East, or betel chewing in India.
    Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At the current sales pace, that is equivalent to a 4-month supply, which is still on the lean side.
    Diana Olick, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Right now, Netflix is playing the part equivalent to gold.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Identical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identical. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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