resemblance
Americannoun
-
the state or fact of resembling; similarity.
- Antonyms:
- difference
-
a degree, kind, or point of likeness.
- Synonyms:
- similitude, analogy
-
a likeness, appearance, or semblance of something.
- Synonyms:
- image
noun
-
the state or quality of resembling; likeness or similarity in nature, appearance, etc
-
the degree or extent to which or the respect in which a likeness exists
-
something resembling something else; semblance; likeness
Synonym Usage
Resemblance, similarity imply that there is a likeness between two or more people or things. Resemblance indicates primarily a likeness in appearance, either a striking one or one which merely serves as a reminder to the beholder: The boy has a strong resemblance to his father. Similarity may imply a surface likeness, but usually suggests also a likeness in other characteristics: There is a similarity in their tastes and behavior.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of resemblance
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, equivalent to resembl(er) “to resemble” resemble + -ance -ance
Explanation
A resemblance is a similarity in appearance. Children usually have a strong resemblance to their biological parents. When you talk about resemblances, you're talking about people or things that look alike in some way. Relatives often have resemblances because they share the same genes. Perhaps you have a resemblance to a famous person. Many people think there's a resemblance between dogs and their owners. If someone draws a picture of you, but it has no resemblance to what you really look like, they did a bad job.
Vocabulary lists containing resemblance
Kindred
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"Phaethon"
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Flush
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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.
Because of its striking resemblance to the Hawaiian species, they named it Theridion himalayana, or the Himalayan Happy Face Spider.
From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026
That starts with the title font’s most intentional resemblance to classic Stephen King paperback cover typography.
From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026
Today, most microfinance lenders have little resemblance to Yunus’s vision.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
He was Sam the Eagle, our national bird transformed by a Disney artist, and to some eyes bearing a slight resemblance to an earlier Disney avian character, a parrot.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
By then, after a year of using my employee discount at the Gap, my wardrobe bore a striking resemblance to that of Ali MacGraw in Love Story.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
