identical

adjective

ī-ˈden-ti-kəl How to pronounce identical (audio)
Definition of identicalnext
1
as in same
being one and not another both families wanted the identical puppy and weren't accepting the argument that its littermates were just as good

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in similar
resembling another in every respect identical dresses whose only difference is a designer label that fetches a high price

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word identical different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of identical are equal, equivalent, same, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

In what contexts can equal take the place of identical?

In some situations, the words equal and identical are roughly equivalent. However, equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

When is equivalent a more appropriate choice than identical?

The synonyms equivalent and identical are sometimes interchangeable, but equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

How are the words same and selfsame related as synonyms of identical?

Same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.

took the same route
derived from the selfsame source

How does the word very relate to other synonyms for identical?

Very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

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 identical Meanwhile, the change in shield design from the blue-and-gold badge that probation officers have worn for decades to a silver shield almost identical to NYPD patrol shields is being criticized by Dalvanie Powell, the president of the United Probation Officers Association. —Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025 However, the Twins’ strikeout rate is 23.2 percent, which is nearly identical to the league-wide rate of 22.5 percent and puts them in the middle of the pack, ranking 14th out of 30 teams. —Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 But the dire wolf’s genome is still almost identical to that of the gray wolf. —Emily Mullin, Wired News, 7 Apr. 2025 Case in point: This Bay Isle Home bistro set at Wayfair not only looks high-end, but is nearly identical to Serena & Lily’s nearly $2,000 version but costs 77 percent less. —Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for identical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for identical
  1. same
  2. similar
  3. comparable
  4. analogous
  5. equivalent
Adjective
  • Brown made the Pro Bowl that same season and then another two years later.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
  • That same attorney also told People in 2023 about the Ellerup.
    — Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of same
Adjective
  • The men and women in the study had similar nicotine use, sleep habits, cholesterol levels, and obesity rates.
    — Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Loyola Chicago took a similar path to the NIT, winning nine of their last 11 games to raise their record from 12-8 to 21-10 before bowing out in the second round of their conference tournament.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of similar
Adjective
  • The most far-reaching version of Trump’s strategy would raise the effective, or average, tariff on U.S. imports to about 20%, comparable to the heavy import duties the nation imposed in the 1930s and that contributed to the Great Depression, Zandi said.
    — Paul Davidson, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
  • There are several solutions Baltimore could implement immediately to fix its open records process, like creating an online request center comparable to most other large cities.
    — John Hart, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of comparable
Adjective
  • In Pachter’s comparison, mobile games are analogous to McDonald’s, while Nintendo is the steakhouse.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The league maintains the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Third, Seventh, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits have held that consumers in analogous situations to Salazar suffered no concrete harm when the transmission was non-public.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of analogous
Adjective
  • The equivalent figure, for both home and away, was just 10 points — 15th in the league.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • In March 2025, Zipline announced that its drones have logged more than 100 million autonomous miles of flight to-date, a number equivalent to flying more than 4,000 loops around the planet, or 200 lunar round trips, the company said in a video to mark the milestone.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of equivalent

Browse Nearby Words

idées fixes
identical
identically
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Cite this Entry

“Identical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identical. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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