likeness

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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 The case situates the tension between amateurism, pay-for-play, and name, image, and likeness. Allison Smith, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025 In a statement shared on April 9, YouTube announced its support for the bill as well as updating its privacy policy to protect individuals’ likenesses. Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025 The bipartisan, bicameral bill is intended to advance creators’ rights by protecting their voices and likenesses from the unauthorized creation and use of digital replicas. Jem Aswad, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025 Protecting voice and likeness as AI grows is too important. Mitch Glazier, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for likeness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likeness
Noun
  • The asteroid is not fully visible in the first set of high-resolution images NASA released Monday, as the space rock is larger than Lucy's field of view.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Read on to see a handful of the most spectacular images from the Lyrid meteor shower 2025.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • And behind the scenes, Ocado uses digital twin technology, essentially a virtual replica of the warehouse, to simulate and optimize everything from customer demand to delivery routes.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Aaron Paul gives a compelling double performance as both the astronaut Cliff and a robot replica of Cliff temporarily controlled by fellow astronaut David (Josh Hartnett).
    Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Creating timepieces that bear little resemblance to ordinary wristwatches (which traditionally feature a dial plate and hands, and attached by a strap, designed to be worn around the wrist) may seem like an unexpected move for Chanel, known for its classic styles.
    Milena Lazazzera, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Today the flat features a sleek, minimalist kitchen; a formal dining room for 10; a study; and a primary suite with large bay windows, a dressing room, and a very modern bathroom that likely bears little resemblance to Jagger’s days.
    Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The sneakers feature multi-tone green denim, fire-orange stitching that mimics trichome-rich buds [those little orange hairs on the bud], and a tongue-in-cheek nod to Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam with the depiction of God and Adam passing a blunt.
    Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The core audience for screen depictions of Hollywood has always been Hollywood itself.
    Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Front and center was a picture of Tatum and Williams holding hands, with the actor kissing the model's forehead.
    Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • But Sophie’s name transforms a banal photograph into a picture that leads us into a world of families and the complicated racial politics of the 19th-century West.
    Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Mississippi River Delta culture in Louisiana and the Mekong River Delta culture in Vietnam share similarities.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • While this may not be a direct response, Banks’ tweets come after fans began to note Banks latest song had stylistic similarities to GloRilla.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • While body makeup was at play, the actor — whose tats range from tributes to old girlfriends to a portrait of Hillary Clinton — is well on his way to a clean slate.
    Brittany Talarico, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • But in the broader context, the sequence depicted something deeper — a portrait of a Thunder team that isn’t just young and talented but wired to compete on every possession, down to the final buzzer.
    Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This project marked Sidibe's return to acting after welcoming her twins with her husband.
    Hannah Sacks, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The twins worked together on screen again in Own Worst Enemy (2014), 7 Days: The Story of Blind Dave Heeley (2019), and Last Night in Soho (2021).
    Julia Emmanuele, EW.com, 27 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Likeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likeness. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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