alike
Americanadverb
-
in the same manner or form; similarly.
They treated all customers alike.
- Antonyms:
- differently
-
to the same degree; equally.
All three were guilty alike.
adjective
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of alike
First recorded before 950; Middle English alyke, from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse ālīkr, cognate with Old English onlīc, Old High German analīh; replacing Middle English ilich, Old English gelīc, cognate with Old Saxon gilīk, Old High German gilīh ( German gleich ), Gothic galeiks, Old Norse (g)līkr; see like 1
Explanation
If two things are alike, they resemble or are similar to each other. You and your sister might be alike in many ways, including your love for strawberry ice cream. If all the houses in your neighborhood look alike, it's hard to tell one from another, and if their parents always dress twin brothers alike, it's going to be impossible for people to remember who's who. Things that are alike are the same. The original form of the word was aliche, from the Old English gelic, "similar," with a Germanic root, which it shares with the word like.
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.
The boys cavorted about the stage, kibitzing with bandleaders and the audience alike.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: The Tiny Vinyl Player might just be the ideal gift for record-lovers and novices alike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
You can smell the fire dozens of kilometres away, and its smoke has partly blocked out the sun: the huge wildfire north of Madrid has unnerved officials and evacuees alike.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Last week, a still-unconfirmed report in Puck stated that Netflix is entering initial talks to acquire Letterboxd, the film-logging and review platform beloved by hardcore and casual cinephiles alike.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
We have similar expectations for what counts as cleanliness in men and women alike.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
