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Synonyms

likeness

American  
[lahyk-nis] / ˈlaɪk nɪs /

noun

  1. a representation, picture, or image, especially a portrait.

    to draw a good likeness of Churchill.

  2. the state or fact of being like.

    I can't get over your likeness to my friend.
    Synonyms:
    similitude, resemblance

  3. the semblance or appearance of something; guise.

    to assume the likeness of a swan.
    Synonyms:
    form, shape
likeness British  
/ ˈlaɪknɪs /

noun

  1. the condition of being alike; similarity

  2. a painted, carved, moulded, or graphic image of a person or thing

  3. an imitative appearance; semblance

"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

Etymology

Origin of likeness

before 950; Middle English liknesse, Old English līcnes, variant of gelīcnes. See alike, -ness

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.

Swift received permission from the estate of Taylor, who died in 2011 at the age of 73, to release the song and to use her likeness in the music video.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The push goes beyond paper currency: federal officials have also approved a commemorative gold coin bearing Trump’s likeness, while proposals for a $1 coin featuring the president have raised legal and ethical questions.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

The app’s remix feature allowed users to superimpose the likeness of their friends or celebrities into existing AI-generated video or create brand new ones.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

As a teen he attended a rally with the Hispanic labor and civil-rights icon and for years he has lived across from a school bearing Chavez’s name and a giant mural of his likeness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

She recognized Telemachus instantly from his likeness to his father and she called him by name.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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.