Synonym Chooser

How does the noun replica differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of replica are copy, duplicate, facsimile, and reproduction. While all these words mean "a thing made to closely resemble another," replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details, but not always in the same scale.

a replica of the Mayflower
miniature replicas of classic cars

When would copy be a good substitute for replica?

The words copy and replica can be used in similar contexts, but copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When is duplicate a more appropriate choice than replica?

The synonyms duplicate and replica are sometimes interchangeable, but duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When could facsimile be used to replace replica?

While the synonyms facsimile and replica are close in meaning, facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

Where would reproduction be a reasonable alternative to replica?

In some situations, the words reproduction and replica are roughly equivalent. However, reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of replica Prior to the current Diablo/Path of Exile moment, there was the Deus Ex phase; at one point Musk claimed to sleep with a replica of the gun from the famed cyberpunk RPG franchise next to his bed. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2025 Alonzo’s weapon was recovered and determined to be a replica Crosman revolver air pistol, police said. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Jan. 2025 The curiosities featured included a replica of the ghost of Santi from The Devil’s Backbone, complete with blood (red smoke) streaming from a head wound, an immense head of Frankenstein’s monster looming over a walkway and the comic books that inspired del Toro’s Hellboy films. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2025 So one replica can make one layer of circuitry for 2,000 wafers. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for replica 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for replica
Noun
  • The album cover features an image of Miller painted by artist Alim Smith, who posted it to his Instagram page in Sept. 2018.
    Anna Tingley, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Satellite images and reports from the U.N. indicate that 69 percent of Gaza's buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including more than 245,000 homes.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Those members of Congress would have to review the document under supervision from a Justice Department official and would not be able to keep a copy of the report, take notes or take photographs of its pages, government lawyers said.
    DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, arkansasonline.com, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The company provided me copies of the current edition for review.
    Rob Wieland, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Comments Nineties kids are kind of obsessed with twins.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Written and directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer (Home Again), the film from Ketchup Entertainment follows Andy Goodrich (Keaton), whose life is upended when his wife and mother of their nine-year-old twins enters a 90-day rehab program, leaving him on his own with their young kids.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In the wild, cats faced the challenge of limited prey, which favored only the most skilled hunters for survival and reproduction.
    Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Here, a reproduction of the article that ran in Women’s Wear Daily on July 20, 1956, including Dior’s thoughts on the WWD’s support of him and its succinct coverage of all things informing the fashion industry 365 days of the year.
    WWD Staff, WWD, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Among the places some of them took refuge was Likee, a TikTok clone launched by the profitable Singaporean tech company Joyy in 2017.
    Paresh Dave, WIRED, 22 Jan. 2025
  • His Carneros Chardonnay is carefully selected from a small block from a variety of clones, primarily fermented in 53% French oak using native yeast, with a small percentage of concrete.
    John Mariani, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Jones saunters to the middle of the cage, shimmying his hips and arms in an imitation of Trump’s signature shuffle-dance.
    Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2025
  • But Yakin’s script is no imitation; this is a smart, sensitive story of a young drug runner (Sean Nelson) who uses the chess strategies taught to him by his absentee father (Samuel L. Jackson) to double-cross his employer (Giancarlo Esposito).
    Jason Bailey, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The clear picture here is that hunters in the South tend to be more successful.
    Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 23 Jan. 2025
  • One of the BlueSky posts -- made a day before the shooting -- showed an edited picture of Rupnow, according to sources.
    Josh Margolin, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • When one version of Mickey dies, a duplicate is created to replace him that retains most of his memories.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Fix those messy duplicates, prune the unused fields, and resolve to keep your data fit for purpose.
    Sarah Elk, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near replica

Cite this Entry

“Replica.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/replica. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on replica

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