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 Legends and Soles offers numerous insights into his collaboration with former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon, who brought the historic case against the NCAA and Electronic Arts over the use of players’ likenesses in video games without player consent and without payment. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Feb. 2025 Each Kid Reporter agrees to have his/her name and likeness used in all media in conjunction with the TIME for Kids Kid Reporter Team. Time For Kids, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025 In hindsight, this was Bueckers laying the foundation for her strategy around name, image and likeness (NIL), which the NCAA only started to permit earlier that month. Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 19 Feb. 2025 The trade-off is a climate where big-name coaches can thrive as the transfer portal and name, image and likeness payments disperse talent across a wider array of schools. Matt Baker, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for likeness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likeness
Noun
  • Benedict Chiu, United States, 2023 A member of a famous K-Pop boy band whose face has been disfigured by an accident must undergo surgery to repair his fracturing image.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Aerial images captured by drones are loaded onto maps made with geographic information system (GIS) technology.
    Ryan Lanclos, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Newsweek's analysis of Google Earth imagery shows that construction of the replica compound began sometime between mid-October and early November 2014.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
  • By bringing these artwork replicas to Little Haiti, the organizers hope to inspire a deeper appreciation for Haiti’s contributions to the global cultural landscape.
    Jonel Juste, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The actor, who does bear something of a resemblance to Jon Lovitz, sadly died in 2011.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Due to a mix of recent legal changes and an uncertain policy landscape, residents in roughly half of American states have easy access to impairing hemp products that bear a strong resemblance to marijuana and are far less regulated.
    Katharine Neill Harris, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Expertly made with care and attention to detail, this movie has something to say to everyone in the family, while capturing a depiction of emotional evolution that feels true.
    DeVonne Goode, Parents, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Shots of Roger biking down idyllic Brooklyn streets, grassy knolls in Brooklyn parks and cozy coffee shops and bars on Brooklyn corners are abundant, but beyond that the borough’s depiction leaves viewers wanting.
    Morgan A. Grain, Essence, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Their findings paint a more complicated picture, one that her mother has denied.
    Brian Brant, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Philadelphia is 20-38 on the season and currently outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • But by the mid-20th century, lawmakers had grown increasingly opposed to marijuana and were concerned by hemp’s similarity to its impairment-causing cousin.
    Katharine Neill Harris, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Ottawa Senators forward Ridley Greig had some similarities to Lardis in his NHLe scores, but Greig benefited from being listed at 5-11 in the system.
    Scott Powers, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Guests will be given a welcome portrait with the first interactive QR code of the series.
    Robin Raven, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • On Sunday, March 2, the celebrity chef, 58, shared a photo of himself lounging on a green couch underneath a portrait of famed restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump that shows her in a similar position.
    Raven Brunner, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Our family has always been so obsessed with the fact there were two sets of twins born to the same parents in our family.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Trachtenberg plays Jenny, one-half of a set of twins who, along with some boisterous male buddies, sets off on a summer tour of Europe.
    Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Likeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likeness. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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