Dissimilar
/dɪˈsɪmɪlə(r)/
Definitions
Not the same; different in character or quality.
/dɪˈsɪmɪlə(r)/
Not alike; different.
The two houses, though built in the same era, had dissimilar architectural designs.
💡 Simply: Imagine you and your best friend. You both like pizza, but she loves pepperoni, and you prefer plain cheese. Your pizza preferences are dissimilar, meaning they're not exactly the same!
👶 For kids: When things are dissimilar, they are not alike. Like how a cat and a dog are dissimilar - they're different animals!
More Examples
Despite their shared heritage, their personalities were quite dissimilar.
The data sets revealed dissimilar patterns, suggesting different underlying causes.
How It's Used
"The two paintings have dissimilar styles."
"The cells exhibit dissimilar structures."
From Latin *dissimilis*, from *dis-* (apart) + *similis* (like).
The word 'dissimilar' has been in use since the 16th century, reflecting a growing interest in categorizing and comparing elements of the world.
Memory tip
Think of 'dis-' meaning 'not' and 'similar'. Things that are dissimilar are not similar, or different.