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 In duplication or mirror mode, the machine prints up to four identical parts simultaneously, effectively quadrupling batch output without needing to ramp up raw print speed. New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2026 And as winter draws nearer, people will turn on the heat — using heating oil that's almost chemically identical to diesel. Willa Rubin, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026 The skunks are nearly identical, though the white stripes along the top of their heads are unique, with one reaching a narrow point while the other curves toward one side of her nose. Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 But a €3 duty that is paid only once for ten identical garments is not a response commensurate with the scale of the problem. Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for identical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for identical
Adjective
  • The Italian Interior Ministry used that same threat to justify extending the border checks Tuesday.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Raspberry said those same products can then become lookbooks and wholesale presentations as well as be used for campaign creative and product detail pages, among other uses.
    Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Investors can look for adjacent, cheaper ZIP codes with similar emerging trends.
    Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The economists tell a similar story about real estate brokers, who have fought to protect their role as middlemen and the hefty commissions that come with it.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Despite this, as Victoria Fuller, head of Cleveland Police, pointed out, the local force receives £139million ($187m) less funding than, for example, its counterpart in Surrey, south of London, despite a comparable population.
    Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • California pump prices are now comparable to levels last seen in early June, according to AAA.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • So says Ana Trias, president of prestige and fashion brands at Puig, who sees consumer behavior in fragrances becoming more analogous with fashion.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • That suggests the possibility of traffic strategies targeting such neighborhoods, analogous to child safety efforts focused on schools and their surroundings.
    Paula Span, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The goal is to start these studies with about 35 cubic feet (one cubic meter) of lunar regolith, which is maybe the equivalent size of a fridge.
    Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In property-tax terms, a mill is equivalent to $1 in tax per $1,000 in taxable value.
    Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Identical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identical. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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