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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.

The fans wanted more this year - perhaps it is time for Yates' less decorated, identical twin brother Adam to provide it.

From BBC

After posting his surveillance video of the theft on Facebook, he said he received an outpouring of messages from San Bernardino County community members sharing identical stories.

From Los Angeles Times

Western Canadian Select crude is not chemically identical to Venezuelan crude, “but it rhymes. The equipment overlaps. The expertise transfers. The margin opportunity is familiar,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Measurements showed that different light cages with the same design delivered nearly identical storage performance across two separate devices on the same chip.

From Science Daily

The most remarkable part about New England’s improvement under Maye is that another team experienced a turnaround that was almost identical.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.