likeness

Definition of likenessnext
1
2
3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word likeness distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of likeness are analogy, resemblance, similarity, and similitude. While all these words mean "agreement or correspondence in details," likeness implies a closer correspondence than similarity which often implies that things are merely somewhat alike.

a remarkable likeness to his late father
some similarity between the two cases

When is it sensible to use analogy instead of likeness?

In some situations, the words analogy and likeness are roughly equivalent. However, analogy implies likeness or parallelism in relations rather than in appearance or qualities.

pointed out analogies to past wars

When is resemblance a more appropriate choice than likeness?

The words resemblance and likeness are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, resemblance implies similarity chiefly in appearance or external qualities.

statements that bear little resemblance to the truth

When can similitude be used instead of likeness?

The meanings of similitude and likeness largely overlap; however, similitude applies chiefly to correspondence between abstractions.

two schools of social thought showing points of similitude

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 likeness Lipa's legal team argued the unauthorized use of her likeness helped boost sales of Samsung televisions. ABC News, 10 May 2026 Kilcher, 36, filed her complaint Tuesday in California Central District Court and is suing on numerous counts including misappropriation of likeness, invasion of privacy and interfering with possible financial gain. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026 In 2025, Brynwood Partners acquired Chef Boyardee and the firm continues to use the same likeness on Chef Boyardee-brand products, which are all still made in Milton, Pennsylvania. Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026 Kilcher only learned that Cameron used her likeness on social media, when a broadcast interview with the director surfaced online. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for likeness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likeness
Noun
  • Additional images showed an unknown number of snakes curled on top of one another inside a large crate that was placed in the back of an officer’s vehicle.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
  • While Washington was private about his Anglican beliefs and a supporter of religious freedom for all faiths, Christian nationalists have been reviving the image, and with it, the claim that the US is an inherently Christian nation at its origin.
    Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • That, of course, is the same plate seen on the show, and the same one on the Volo Museum's replica.
    Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
  • Adult shirts are £85 for replicas, £12o for authentic cuts (closer to what players wear in games), and £130 for the authentic long sleeve version.
    Art de Roché, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • The pattern, named for its resemblance to the Greek letter Ω in the jet stream, is slowing the typical west-to-east movement of weather systems.
    Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 14 May 2026
  • The North American Nebula shines to the lower left of Deneb, named for its resemblance to the North American continent, while the 120-light-year-wide supernova remnant known as the Cygnus Loop glows closer to the horizon.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • Among the Greco-Roman statues uncovered are depictions of deities like Bacchus (god of wine), Asclepius (god of medicine), and Minerva (god of wisdom).
    Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
  • In 1969, shortly after the landmark Nostra Aetate declaration rejecting longstanding anti-Jewish Catholic doctrine, the Archbishop of Brussels ordered that several paintings be removed and a plaque be mounted to offer context about the remaining depictions.
    Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • Surely there was a time earlier in your life when your financial picture wasn’t so stable.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026
  • Lochte had posted a picture of the injection on social media before deleting it.
    Dave Skretta, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • In yet another similarity between fiction and real life, there is a lot of admiration between Anderson and Dearden.
    Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 9 May 2026
  • The golden statue drew criticism over its similarities to the golden calf in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament of the Bible.
    Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • The design ethos translates to a warren of nook-and-cranny sitting rooms decorated in sage and slate, ox-blood leather, curiosities and ancestral portraits.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
  • Related Stories Laird plays Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, a daughter of the lower-middle classes who uses her skills as a portrait painter to hustle her way into the royal court of Versailles.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • The couple, who are parents to almost 9-year-old twins Alexander and Ella, shared their pieces of advice for their children, which were at completely different ends of the spectrum.
    Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
  • In 2022, Business Insider reported on documents showing that Musk was the father of twins with Zilis.
    Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 12 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Likeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likeness. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on likeness

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster