noun
Etymology
Origin of replica
First recorded in 1815–25; from Italian: “reply, repetition,” derivative of replicare “to repeat” from Late Latin replicāre “to reply ”
Explanation
A replica of something is a close — sometimes exact — likeness. The "Mona Lisa" that you bought at the department store is not the original but a replica of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece. Sorry, but you can always take it back. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, a replica is pure adulation. Someone creating a replica is creating an imitation of the original. The word first appeared in 17th-century Italy, taking its meaning from the word replicare, "to reply or repeat," as used in music. In time, it came to mean a copy, often of a work of art. In a stricter sense, the word refers to a copy created or supervised by the artist of the original work.
Vocabulary lists containing replica
Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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A Single Shard
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Breaking: We've updated tonight's Ichiro Replica Statue giveaway," it posted on social media along with an image of a figurine with a broken bat.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Using driving data from Replica, the Berkeley team sorted neighborhoods into five categories according to how much residents drive.
From Slate • Jun. 3, 2025
It was Replica Studios that first reached out to Magee about a voice-over audio clip he had created demonstrating a Scottish accent.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2024
According to Sag-Aftra, the agreement lays out terms and conditions for AI-generated voices in video games, which can be licensed by Replica Studios both in gaming and other forms of media.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2024
Replica made by Dorothy Briggs of the Smithsonian Institution 1960.
From Bloodletting Instruments in the National Museum of History and Technology by Appel, Toby
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
