adverb
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in addition; moreover; also
-
in like manner; similarly
Usage
What does likewise mean? Likewise can mean also, in addition, moreover, similarly, or in the same way. Likewise can also be used to mean something like “me too” or “the same thing you just said.” When used this way, it’s typically used by itself as a one-word response to a statement. For example, if someone says, “It was nice you meet you,” you could simply reply, “Likewise!”Example: I think we work well together, and I hope you feel likewise.
Etymology
Origin of likewise
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; earlier in like wise “in a like way;” see like 1, wise 2
Explanation
Likewise means "similarly." Your attempt to bypass security with a fake ID was unsuccessful, and your guise as a pizza deliverer was likewise ineffective. Likewise is an adverb with three different senses. One is "similarly." You were unimpressed with your brother's poetry, and likewise unimpressed with his taste in music. Likewise can also mean "in addition," and "equally." Your new t-shirts sold well at the beach boutique, and likewise they sold well on line. If you want to tell someone you feel the way he does, say, "I feel likewise."
Vocabulary lists containing likewise
Academic Vocabulary, Unit 3
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Vocabulary Review, Unit 4
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The Good Samaritan
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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.
Many were likewise concerned that some index rules had changed to accommodate companies like SpaceX, which have big valuations but low “floats” of public shares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
And he acknowledged that “the tools needed to secure the border in Big Bend are likewise different than those needed in a dense urban environment,” without explicitly condemning the project.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
When it came to hyperscale data centers, Blegay likewise emphasized the need for countywide standards instead of deciding key matters, such as clean vs. dirty energy sources, on a project-by-project basis.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
But he added cancelling the attack would be "for the future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran".
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
And likewise, I assumed that my mom and dad would always look for Gabriel, both literally and figuratively speaking.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
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.
