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Synonyms

identical

American  
[ahy-den-ti-kuhl, ih-den-] / aɪˈdɛn tɪ kəl, ɪˈdɛn- /

adjective

  1. similar or alike in every way.

    The two cars are identical except for their license plates.

  2. being the very same; selfsame.

    This is the identical room we stayed in last year.

  3. agreeing exactly.

    identical opinions.
    Synonyms:
    equal, congruent, congruous
identical British  
/ aɪˈdɛntɪkəl /

adjective

  1. Also called: numerically identical.  being one and the same individual

    Cicero and Tully are identical

  2. Also called: quantitatively identical.  exactly alike, equal, or agreeing

  3. designating either or both of a pair of twins of the same sex who developed from a single fertilized ovum that split into two Compare fraternal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • identically adverb
  • identicalness noun
  • nonidentical adjective
  • pseudoidentical adjective
  • quasi-identical adjective
  • quasi-identically adverb
  • unidentical adjective
  • unidentically adverb

Etymology

Origin of identical

First recorded in 1610–20; from Medieval Latin identic(us) identic + -al 1

Compare meaning

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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.

I once ordered it at a chain restaurant that shall remain diplomatically unnamed, only to discover that it was functionally identical to the toddler’s mac and cheese at our table.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

It took months of pressure before our PBM relented and allowed us to distribute an identical drug at a fraction of the cost.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

While I was flying over the island’s shore, the topography looked almost identical to the Florida Everglades.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Congress re-enacted the same language after the 14th Amendment was adopted, suggesting an identical operation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

“They could’ve been identical twins except for one thing. This dog looks brave. My Fred? He was a coward!”

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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.