Definition of similaritynext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word similarity distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of similarity are analogy, likeness, resemblance, 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 could analogy be used to replace similarity?

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

pointed out analogies to past wars

Where would resemblance be a reasonable alternative to similarity?

The words resemblance and similarity can be used in similar contexts, but resemblance implies similarity chiefly in appearance or external qualities.

statements that bear little resemblance to the truth

In what contexts can similitude take the place of similarity?

While in some cases nearly identical to similarity, 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 similarity Maya Hawke will star as Judy Luptack, an investigator with a high-pressure case to find a missing teen camper from a prominent family, a disappearance that bears an eerie similarity to another 14 years ago. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 The only similarity between the person participating in the experiment and the stranger was gender—the stranger’s face was not a doppelgänger. Nicole Karlis, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026 The same research tradition shows that such perceptions involve judgements about intention and expression, and not just visual similarity. Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 With its towers and waterfront location, there are some similarities to this trip’s starting point, Toronto, but Vancouver is slower in pace and more rooted in its nature-rich setting. Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for similarity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for similarity
resemblance
Noun
  • For many skywatchers, the difference between 96% and 100% will be surprisingly subtle — the complete opposite to a total solar eclipse, where a 99% eclipse bears no resemblance whatsoever to totality.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Her mother, Linda Gaboriau, is an accomplished literary translator who had sometimes served as a photographers’ muse, and as an art student, Auf der Maur had been struck by her own resemblance to the muses of Botticelli and Gustav Klimt.
    Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Similarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/similarity. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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