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 The distance coincidentally matches the length of Elizabeth’s walk, but there are other similarities, too. Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025 McCartney also took his own photographs and their similarity in photographic styles is presented as evidence of their unbreakable kinship. Caleb Hammond, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025 While official specifications remain limited, the CJ-1000 is believed to share design similarities with the DF-100, unveiled in 2019, and is estimated to have a range of several thousand kilometers. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025 Getting Spot to nail a triple backflip, on a practical level, actually shares some similarities with training a real dog. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for similarity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for similarity
resemblance
Noun
  • But two years later, a young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering from a canal.
    Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Some of these ancient microbes show strong resemblances to modern pathogens.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Similarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/similarity. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on similarity

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