facsimile
Americannoun
-
an exact copy, as of a book, painting, or manuscript.
-
Also called fax. Telecommunications.
-
a method or device for transmitting documents, drawings, photographs, or the like, by means of radio or telephone for exact reproduction elsewhere.
-
an image transmitted by such a method.
-
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
-
-
an exact copy or reproduction
-
( as modifier )
a facsimile publication
-
-
an image produced by facsimile transmission
verb
Etymology
Origin of facsimile
1655–65; earlier fac simile make the like, equivalent to Latin fac (imperative of facere ) + simile, noun use of neuter of similis like; see simile
Explanation
A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of something. Many parents hope their children will be facsimiles of themselves; many children have other plans in mind. Facsimile comes from two Latin roots: facere, meaning "to make," and simile, meaning "like." Fax machines are so called because they copy and transmit facsimiles of documents, or faxes for short, over phone lines. Grammatically speaking, photocopiers also make facsimiles, but oddly enough those are referred to as copies — not faxes.
Vocabulary lists containing facsimile
Make Do: Fac
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: February 19 - 23, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
But would the holographic pixels of an A.I.-generated facsimile capture the tiny crevices between my brother’s crooked teeth?
From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026
It is to his credit that the cathedral is not a simulacrum or facsimile, but a Gothic building, in all its structural reality, even the invisible oak roof truss above the vaults.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025
Newquay's Concrete Waves skatepark, with its tiled edges and concrete coping, is "mellow facsimile", said Mr Bishop.
From BBC • Sep. 21, 2025
All that isn’t even to mention the cast, who have been photographed for promotional images looking like a facsimile of 2006-era masculinity.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2025
Notably, Brenner and Jacob later discovered the messenger RNA was a facsimile of the DNA chain—a copy made from the original.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
