similitude

noun

si·​mil·​i·​tude sə-ˈmi-lə-ˌtüd How to pronounce similitude (audio)
-ˌtyüd
Synonyms of similitudenext
1
a
: counterpart, double
b
: a visible likeness : image
2
: an imaginative comparison : simile
3
a
: correspondence in kind or quality
b
: a point of comparison

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for similitude

likeness, similarity, resemblance, similitude, analogy mean agreement or correspondence in details.

likeness implies a closer correspondence than similarity which often implies that things are merely somewhat alike.

a remarkable likeness to his late father
some similarity between the two cases

resemblance implies similarity chiefly in appearance or external qualities.

statements that bear little resemblance to the truth

similitude applies chiefly to correspondence between abstractions.

two schools of social thought showing points of similitude

analogy implies likeness or parallelism in relations rather than in appearance or qualities.

pointed out analogies to past wars

Examples of similitude in a Sentence

the striking similitude between that modern city and the Rome of ancient times the two siblings, raised on opposite ends of the country, show some curious similitudes
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What’s all the more vexing is how this situation thematically collides with Apollo 10 ½, which dramatizes its hero’s closeness to his space-age dreams through its similitude to real life. —Vulture, 17 Oct. 2022 Human performers can play at such similitude, but robots fully embody it. —Sydney Skybetter, Wired, 8 July 2021 Whatever similitude of separation between protesters and police there had been was gone. —Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, 29 May 2020 His adamant individualism is keyed precisely to his rejection of similitude to the manners of anyone else. —Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2020 Here are the top two innovations in iPad cases at CES 2011—standouts in a sea of similitude. —Tyghe Trimble, Popular Mechanics, 8 Jan. 2011

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "appearance, form, image, similarity, comparison, analogy, symbol, counterpart," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, "similarity, comparison, likeness," borrowed from Latin similitūdin-, similitūdō "resemblance, shared character, similar thing, likeness, comparison," from similis "having characteristics in common, like" + -tūdin-, -tūdō -tude — more at similar

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of similitude was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near similitude

similiter

similitude

similize

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Similitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/similitude. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

similitude

noun
si·​mil·​i·​tude sə-ˈmil-ə-ˌt(y)üd How to pronounce similitude (audio)
1
: a visible likeness
2
: a comparison based on an imagined likeness
3
: similarity sense 2
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