Synonym Chooser

How does the noun replica differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of replica are copy, duplicate, facsimile, and reproduction. While all these words mean "a thing made to closely resemble another," replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details, but not always in the same scale.

a replica of the Mayflower
miniature replicas of classic cars

When would copy be a good substitute for replica?

The words copy and replica can be used in similar contexts, but copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When is duplicate a more appropriate choice than replica?

The synonyms duplicate and replica are sometimes interchangeable, but duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When could facsimile be used to replace replica?

While the synonyms facsimile and replica are close in meaning, facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

Where would reproduction be a reasonable alternative to replica?

In some situations, the words reproduction and replica are roughly equivalent. However, reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

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 replica The Marigalante was built in 1987 as a replica of the historic Santa Maria. Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 In response to a Star inquiry, the State Department confirmed Arrington’s role in obtaining the replica and described the former director as helpful and knowledgeable. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 13 Oct. 2025 Their 306,000-gallon ocean habitat is complete with a replica shipwreck that houses sharks, tarpon, and several other fish species. Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025 All tickets include a tour of the cave and of a replica of the Bell family cabin. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for replica
Recent Examples of Synonyms for replica
Noun
  • Its images have illuminated how galaxies form, evolve and recycle their material through generations of star birth and death.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Cranston was among those who raised concerns when the initial launch of the AI video platform allowed users to create his image without his permission.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Costco, though, was a shrewd recombination of what had come before rather than a straight copy.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • While those films were burned, what the West never knew was that those were not the only copies of these films as Hesse had stored the vast majority of the originals safely in London, away from the political upheaval.
    Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The birth will be in San Diego, about 250 miles south of Santa Barbara, and as with the twins, McAnally and Baum plan to be present for it.
    Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Rather than running the cars on the track with different tires, transmissions, and weather conditions to find the recipe for optimal performance, teams are creating digital twins of entire systems and modeling them with simulations.
    Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The collection included reproductions of uniforms worn by each profession and Johnson’s modernized interpretations, enhanced with waterproofing, durability and thermal regulation.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Fabio’s journey to understand Angus begins with a reproduction glimpsed on a phone and then takes him to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to the home of Betty Angus, Patrick’s mother.
    Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The labels have for the most part taken a cautiously experimental approach to AI music in the past several years, granting licenses to a few companies to create tools like AI voice clones or music generators, but suing several developers who didn’t get licenses for their models.
    Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Delphi’s digital clones embody that vision.
    William Jones, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Meta’s model leaked just two years ago and seeded an ecosystem of imitations and refinements that moved faster than any licensing system.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Jane's chimp imitation was an easy choice to hook the average, even mildly interested, reader.
    Ron Arias, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The big-picture story isn’t any better.
    Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Nearly six months later, though, a slightly different picture is emerging; ironically, a glance at Rotten Tomatoes — more of which later — shows that the film is now firmly rated just about Fresh with critics and audiences alike, with approval scores of 69% and 65%, respectively.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Dedicate budget and time to remove duplicates, reconcile systems and build a consistent data model.
    David Kelley, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Sort all the items by category so they can be grouped together, get rid of unnecessary duplicates, and re-home items that can be stored elsewhere.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Replica.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/replica. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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