Similarity
ˌsɪməˈlærɪti
Definitions
The quality or state of being similar; likeness.
ˌsɪməˈlærɪti
The state or fact of being similar; resemblance.
The teacher noticed a clear similarity between the two students' answers.
💡 Simply: Similarity is when two or more things look or act alike, like how twins often share a lot of similarities. It's like saying 'these two things are almost the same!'
👶 For kids: When things are almost the same, they have similarity.
More Examples
Despite their different backgrounds, there was a surprising similarity in their goals.
The artist emphasized the similarity in the color palettes of the paintings.
How It's Used
"There is a striking similarity between their paintings."
"The researchers studied the similarities in the DNA sequences."
"The court examined the similarities and differences between the two cases."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
in similarity to
Being like or resembling something else.
"In similarity to her mother, she has a kind heart."
bear a similarity to
To have a resemblance to something or someone.
"Her latest novel bears a striking similarity to her earlier work."
From Middle French *similitude*, from Latin *similitudo* ("likeness, resemblance"), from *similis* ("like, similar").
The word 'similarity' has been used since the 16th century and became increasingly common during the Enlightenment when scholars started to compare and categorize different phenomena based on their shared traits.
Memory tip
Think of SIMILAR + -ITY to remember the concept of likeness.