Definition of identicalnext

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 The Switch 2's Joy-Con 2 controllers feel similar to the originals and have almost identical designs. Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026 Ly emphasizes that recurrence in identical locations is one of the most defining features. Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 May 2026 After $184,500, their contributions are identical. Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026 Leonard had a similar shot for the Raptors that won a series, but the bounce off the heel of the rim and in was nearly identical to Haliburton’s for the Indiana Pacers last year. Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for identical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for identical
Adjective
  • Some of these same members that are voting on decisions like this are accepting gifts from billionaires.
    NBC news, NBC news, 10 May 2026
  • Over that same period, call volumes have tripled.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Adjective
  • Many of the precautions a traveler could take are similar to those that became familiar at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 8 May 2026
  • Nationally, campuses including Harvard, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania reported similar outages.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Adjective
  • In January, the FCC issued new guidance over the equal time rule, which requires broadcasters that feature a political candidate on their airwaves offer comparable time to rivals, if it is requested.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 11 May 2026
  • Morgan Rielly, the high-end comparable Drance found for Buium, is also a key comparable according to Buium’s current Net Rating profile.
    Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • An analogous argument, albeit in the context of children and teenagers, was recently brought against Meta and other social media companies.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Apr. 2026
  • What’s going on there is analogous to what the oil business did in Houston and Dallas.
    Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Yet, on Rikers, Richards’s presence seemed to inspire an equivalent degree of intensity.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
  • The process was the shipbuilding equivalent of tearing a house down to the studs.
    Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 9 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Identical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identical. Accessed 12 May. 2026.

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