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 Friday night, the administration filed a nearly identical emergency stay request with the Supreme Court, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a temporary pause that will remain in effect until the circuit court issues a judgment on the matter. James Sample, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2025 The Tangem Wallet allows users to add extra cards as hardware backups, so the user’s private key is redundantly stored across identical secure elements with no mnemonic to hide, copy, or accidentally leak. Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025 With the exception of the biological components found in Earth’s topsoil, the composition of the Moon’s regolith is identical to the composition of Earth’s crust. Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025 Just moments before, Flav gave Alix Earle, consistently one of the top-scoring stars, an identical score. Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for identical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for identical
Adjective
  • In fiscal 2025, Starbucks reported a 1% decline in same store sales in China, weighed down by 5% decrease in the average amount of money a customer spends per transaction.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
  • But Wall Street is anticipating that McDonald's will report same-store sales growth for the second straight quarter, showing that its value strategy is winning over customers.
    Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The indictment, which was filed on Wednesday and unsealed Sunday, comes on the heels of a series of similar indictments involving Portland Trail Blazers head coach and basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA journeyman Damon Jones.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • There was a similar outcry after Celine Song's Materialists, which (spoiler) ends with Chris Evans proposing with a daisy ring.
    Meg Walters, Glamour, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • After an office romance begins, employee retention at the organization drops by six percentage points, meaning turnover is 14% greater than in comparable firms.
    Emily Nix, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Putting aside the visceral appeal of the reference to insider trading, are these allegations actually comparable to criminal insider trading in the securities regime?
    Samidh Guha, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • That said, the extra boost from set-top boxes and connected TVs isn’t likely to beat out the final tally for the analogous broadcast in 2017.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • That case established a new Second Amendment test, holding that modern-day regulations regarding gun rights must have an analogous historical regulation.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The amount produced by this observed event is, therefore, equivalent to turning the entire mass of the Sun into pure energy (E = mc²).
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2025
  • That is equivalent to about $108.
    Daniel Gonzalez, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Identical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identical. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on identical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!