noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Constructing an accurate, full-scale replica involves far more than enlarging a drawing or arranging generic bones into a dramatic pose.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
Deeper into the grounds, fans delighted in interactive art installations — from a replica of Pinky’s Records & Discs to Craig’s front porch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Spain fans swarmed around Madison Square Garden with one clutching a replica trophy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
She has just sold a replica of a Loewe t-shirt, which usually retails at $500, for $17.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Nigel had come to stand next to the man, and I realized as I spoke that the two looked much alike, the boy a smaller replica of the man.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
England cruised to a 19-3 lead at half-time before Argentina, who wore replicas of the football team's 1986 World Cup kit, fought back in the second half.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
For the new study, researchers used identical replicas of MOMA's capillary tubes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
The resulting replicas can be rotated, enlarged, and viewed from any angle, allowing scientists to study the specimen without risking damage to the original skeleton.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
Along the walls hang two replicas of backdrops his legendary father, Bob Marley, used on tour in the 1970s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Min preferred to fire his replicas in at least two different batches whenever possible.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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.
