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:
Alternately, a full-scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry is available to see for free in Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire and at Reading Museum.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Another used A.I. to animate a photo of Walters, the digital replica lamenting his sentence of “death by incarceration.”
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
On Reddit, he found plenty of other peeved customers but no perfect replica.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The region's hardscrabble existence is perhaps best illustrated in Dollywood's full-size replica of the humble two-room log cabin where Parton grew up with her 11 brothers and sisters in Locust Ridge, outside Sevierville.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
On his head was an exact replica of the old hat.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Indian authorities have built replicas of the huts to get their athletes used to living in them.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I can’t answer the question, and Wall Street can’t answer the question,” said Norton, standing in the corner of the room, replicas of fish and birds pinned to the walls behind him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The actors’ guild SAG-AFTRA in June ratified a new four-year contract with special protections against synthetic performers, and the union has backed a national bill designed to protect individuals from unauthorized, AI-generated digital replicas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
One raid involved 1,618 fake strips being taken from a warehouse in Birmingham, including replicas of star players such as France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
There was graffiti on the walls, but people had also painted impressive replicas of masterpieces like the Mona Lisa.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
