SIMILARITY Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

similarity

noun

ˌsi-mə-ˈler-ə-tē

Definition of similarity next

as in resemblance

the quality or state of having many qualities in common the similarity between the two essays is too great to be coincidental—one author virtually copied the other

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as in commonality

a point which two or more things share in common the only similarity between this project and the last one is that both will involve some lab work

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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 circumstances of his arrest bear similarities to his May 2017 arrest, after which prescription drugs were found in his system – including hydrocodone. —

Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026 Former Arizona guard Matt Muehlebach notices similarities during games. —

Doug Haller, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026 The crime had similarities to those committed by Bundy, who admitted to kidnapping and murdering young women throughout the Western United States in the 1970s. —

Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026 The similarities are deep, and come from a passage describing the book’s colorful dramatis personae. —

Frank Landymore, Futurism, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for similarity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for similarity

resemblance

Noun

Namings often tied to philanthropic giving The current clamor bears some resemblance to the controversy that surrounded the wealthy Sackler family’s culpability in the deadly opioid crisis, because in both cases the institutions involved had received vast sums from the family.

— Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The current clamor bears some resemblance to the controversy that surrounded the wealthy Sackler family’s culpability in the deadly opioid crisis, because in both cases the institutions involved had received vast sums from the family.

— Julie Carr Smyth, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026

Definition of resemblance

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similarities

similarity

similarly

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“Similarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/similarity. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.

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Synonyms of similarity

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