similarly

American  

[sim-uh-ler-lee] / ˈsɪm ə lər li /

adverb

1. in a way that shows a general but not exact resemblance.

   The lab charges anywhere from $50 to $100 per blood test; other procedures are priced similarly.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonsimilarly
  adverb
• quasi-similarly
  adverb
• unsimilarly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of similarly

similar ( def. ) + -ly

Compare meaning

How does similarly compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• similar vs. similarly

Explanation

When you do something similarly, you do it nearly the same way as someone else. At a school bake sale, you might decide to price your brownies similarly to your friend's Rice Krispie treats. Use the adverb similarly to describe something that's done in a way that mirrors or almost duplicates something else. If one little boy dresses up in a red cape at preschool, his best friend might costume himself similarly, in a red scarf and crown. When your neighbor tells you about her vacation in Hawaii, you might be inspired to travel similarly. The word comes from the adjective similar, which means "resembling," and has a Latin root, similis, "like."

Example Sentences

Similarly, California law states that “except as required for the protection of the public health or safety,” no organization shall limit or ban the display of the flag within an exclusive use common area.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

Similarly, China’s ByteDance released a smartphone powered by its ChatGPT-like AI model Doubao, designed to be capable of helping users shop and book tickets across various platforms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

Similarly, as people have taken steps to reduce acidic emissions coming from smokestacks and other sources, less acid has fallen as precipitation, changing the chemistry of soils.

From Science Daily • Jun. 21, 2026

Similarly, it thinks SpaceX can go stratospheric as AI goes into orbit.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

Similarly, the Little Ice Age of A.D. 1300-1500 contributed to the extinction of the Greenland Norse, but no historian, and probably not even a modern climatologist, could have predicted the Little Ice Age.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond