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 These differences can affect both churn risk and long-term customer value, even when customers appear identical within a CRM. Dr. Vasudeva Akula, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Because multiple projects share identical engineering, licensing methods, and supply chains, teams can apply practical lessons directly from one build to the next. Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026 In 1984, William wore a nearly identical ensemble while visiting a newborn Harry at the hospital. Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 The district’s numbers are somewhat different because the counting methods and counting dates are not identical. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 16 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
  • Its board was drawn from the same captains of industry—bankers, retailers, insurance men—who would have occupied such positions in any similar synagogue.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Simons and the Italian designer share a similar aesthetic hinged on modernism and occasionally futurism and even provocation.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • National Hurricane Center data shows that Polo has reached speeds comparable to only a few hurricanes to form in the region in recent decades, primarily Hurricane Patricia in 2015, which reached 215 mph.
    DESIREE BROOKS, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Fusion signatures face scrutiny The researchers also found temperature differences between the active reactor and a calibration device operating under comparable input-power conditions.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The senator said the Food and Drug Administration's model of pharmaceutical regulation is analogous to the AI debate.
    Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In some ways, shorebirds are analogous to the wolves that hunt the deer and elk populations that eat the tree saplings that become the trees that beavers use to build dams that help the fish—and so on.
    Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Know More The Pentagon has negotiated equity or some equivalent, like warrants, in at least 10 companies since Cerberus cofounder Steve Feinberg was confirmed as deputy defense secretary last year.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In their Monday note, the analysts did not turn completely bearish, maintaining their hold-equivalent neutral rating.
    Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Identical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identical. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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