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 likeness in a Sentence
a stamp bearing the likeness of a president
There's some likeness between them.
There's an uncanny likeness between them.
Recent Examples on the WebDuring Tuesday's Women of the World reception at Buckingham Palace, Queen Camilla, 75, was presented with a one-of-a-king Barbie doll made in her likeness, even dressed in a replica of her elegant ensemble: a stunning blue Fiona Clare dress paired with an Amanda Wakeley coat.—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Unionized actors took measures in their last contract to protect their image and likeness, such as requiring prior consent for the creation of digital replicas.—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Did next to nothing to enhance his team’s name, image and likeness efforts.
Let that sink in.—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 It’s become ubiquitous for restaurants to find a likeness in gemstones.—Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Mexican director Lila Avilés, whose meteoric rise on the international stage, with just two feature films, both of which have represented Mexico at the Oscars, is among eight women storytellers selected by Mattel to be immortalized with Barbie dolls in their likeness.—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Sophia has sharp cheekbones and golden eyes, molded in the likeness of Audrey Hepburn.—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 29 Feb. 2024 In your estimation, how much more insane will name, image and likeness (NIL) deals get in college sports? — @MrEd315
First, be aware that the dollar figures publicly attached to NIL contracts for players are often inflated.—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has signed the first-ever name, image and likeness deal involving private aviation partnership that includes personal use of the aircraft.—Kristi Dosh, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'likeness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of likeness was
before the 12th century
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