noun
Etymology
Origin of replica
First recorded in 1815–25; from Italian: “reply, repetition,” derivative of replicare “to repeat” from Late Latin replicāre “to reply ”
Explanation
A replica of something is a close — sometimes exact — likeness. The "Mona Lisa" that you bought at the department store is not the original but a replica of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece. Sorry, but you can always take it back. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, a replica is pure adulation. Someone creating a replica is creating an imitation of the original. The word first appeared in 17th-century Italy, taking its meaning from the word replicare, "to reply or repeat," as used in music. In time, it came to mean a copy, often of a work of art. In a stricter sense, the word refers to a copy created or supervised by the artist of the original work.
Vocabulary lists containing replica
Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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A Single Shard
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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.
To the left, “Painting and Sculpture” clutches a palette while cradling a miniaturized replica of the Dionysus torso from the Parthenon.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
A console features a Daruma doll, a miniature vintage sports car and a tiny replica of Perry holding her child, Rhodes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
Over that time, those workers, known as forward-deployed engineers, would collect data and create a digital replica of an enterprise, allowing Palantir to customize its software for individual customers.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
So his architects hired 500 workers to build a full-size replica of the nonexistent arch, out of canvas and painted wood, for the imperial wedding.
From Salon • May 3, 2026
The girl is practically a replica of me.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
