adverb
-
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.
West Ham, for example, won a European competition three years ago, Wolves are recent top-flight regulars; likewise Stade de Reims, twice European Cup runners-up, and eight-time French champions Nantes.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Heaton, 32, has likewise been diversifying his post- “Stranger Things” portfolio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Fulton Sheen likewise fiercely denounced communism and Nazism, as well as the cultural decay he believed left the West vulnerable to tyranny.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
AEW, likewise, has seen an astounding number of early deaths in its seven years of existence.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
Faramir signed to Frodo and Sam that they should do likewise.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
