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

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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

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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

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

• identical vs. fraternal

Example Sentences

This meant that scientists all over the world could replicate experiments using identical cells.

From BBC

In separate but almost identical statements posted on their websites, Dyson and Leigh Day said the resolution was reached "in recognition of the expenses of litigation and the benefits of settlement".

From BBC

I have four boys, and the middle two are identical twins.

From The Wall Street Journal

He says the no-fuss pitch tends to work best when a candidate has performed a nearly identical job in the past.

From The Wall Street Journal

She wore a pink sweat suit in keeping with “Cloud 9’s” artwork, one of several identical numbers she says she’s got in rotation at the moment.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• exact
• indistinguishable
• interchangeable