similar

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sim·i·lar

(sĭm′ə-lər)

adj.

1. Having a resemblance in appearance or nature; alike though not identical.

2. Mathematics Having corresponding angles equal and corresponding line segments proportional. Used of geometric figures: similar triangles.

[French similaire, from Latin similis, like; see sem- in Indo-European roots.]

sim′i·lar·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

similar

(ˈsɪmɪlə)

adj

1. showing resemblance in qualities, characteristics, or appearance; alike but not identical

2. (Mathematics) geometry (of two or more figures) having corresponding angles equal and all corresponding sides in the same ratio. Compare congruent²

3. (Mathematics) maths (of two classes) equinumerous

[C17: from Old French similaire, from Latin similis]

similarity n

ˈsimilarly adv

Usage: As should not be used after similar: Wilson held a similar position to Jones (not a similar position as Jones); the system is similar to the one in France (not similar as the one in France)

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sim•i•lar

(ˈsɪm ə lər)

adj.

1. having a likeness or resemblance, esp. in a general way; having qualities in common: two similar houses.

2. (of geometric figures) having the same shape; having corresponding sides proportional and corresponding angles equal: similar triangles.

[1605–15; earlier similary < French similaire or Medieval Latin similāris= Latin simil(is) like, similar (akin to simul together) + -āris -ar¹]

sim′i•lar•ly, adv.

same

– similar

Same is almost always used with the.

1. 'the same'

If two or more things are the same, they are alike.

All the streets look the same in the fog.

Essentially, all computers are the same.

2. 'the same as'

You say that one thing is the same as another thing.

He was not the same as the other boys.

The next day was the same as the one before.

Be Careful!
Don't use any preposition except as after the same in sentences like these. Don't say, for example, 'He was not the same like the other boys'.

You can put a noun between the same and as. You can say, for example, 'She goes to the same school as her sister'.

Her dress was the same colour as her eyes.

I'm in the same type of job as you.

You can also use the same as to compare actions. For example, you can say 'She did the same as her sister did', or just 'She did the same as her sister'.

He said exactly the same as you did.

They've got to earn a living, the same as anybody else.

3. adverbs used with 'the same'

The following adverbs are often used in front of the same:

exactly

nearly

almost

practically

virtually

The next time I saw him he looked exactly the same.

Their policies are practically the same as those of the previous government.

4. 'similar'

If two people or things are similar, each one has some features that the other one has.

The two friends look remarkably similar.

Our ideas are basically very similar.

You say that one thing is similar to another thing.

It is similar to her last book.

My dress is similar to that, only longer.

You can use similar in front of a noun when you are comparing a person or thing to someone or something else that has just been mentioned.

Many of my friends have had a similar experience.

Put them in a jar, bowl, or other similar container.

5. adverbs used with 'similar'

The following adverbs are often used in front of similar:

broadly	rather	roughly	surprisingly	quite
remarkably	strikingly	very

Their proposals were rather similar.

My problems are very similar to yours.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.	1.	similar - marked by correspondence or resemblance; "similar food at similar prices"; "problems similar to mine"; "they wore similar coats" same - closely similar or comparable in kind or quality or quantity or degree; "curtains the same color as the walls"; "two girls of the same age"; "mother and son have the same blue eyes"; "animals of the same species"; "the same rules as before"; "two boxes having the same dimensions"; "the same day next year" dissimilar - not similar; "a group of very dissimilar people"; "a pump not dissimilar to those once found on every farm"; "their understanding of the world is not so dissimilar from our own"; "took different (or dissimilar) approaches to the problem"
	2.	similar - having the same or similar characteristics; "all politicians are alike"; "they looked utterly alike"; "friends are generally alike in background and taste" alike, like
	3.	similar - resembling or similar; having the same or some of the same characteristics; often used in combination; "suits of like design"; "a limited circle of like minds"; "members of the cat family have like dispositions"; "as like as two peas in a pod"; "doglike devotion"; "a dreamlike quality" like same - closely similar or comparable in kind or quality or quantity or degree; "curtains the same color as the walls"; "two girls of the same age"; "mother and son have the same blue eyes"; "animals of the same species"; "the same rules as before"; "two boxes having the same dimensions"; "the same day next year"
	4.	similar - (of words) expressing closely related meanings synonymous - (of words) meaning the same or nearly the same
	5.	similar - capable of replacing or changing places with something else; permitting mutual substitution without loss of function or suitability; "interchangeable electric outlets" "interchangeable parts" interchangeable, standardised, standardized, exchangeable replaceable - capable of being replaced

similar

adjective

1. alike, uniform, resembling, corresponding, comparable, much the same, akin, indistinguishable, homogeneous, of a piece, homogenous, cut from the same cloth, congruous The sisters looked very similar.
alike different, opposite, dissimilar, various, clashing, varying, contrary, diverse, contradictory, unrelated, disparate, irreconcilable, heterogeneous, antithetical, unalike

2. (with to) like, much the same as, comparable to, analogous to, close to, cut from the same cloth as The accident was similar to one that happened in 1973.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

similar

adjective

Possessing the same or almost the same characteristics:

alike, analogous, comparable, corresponding, equivalent, like, parallel, uniform.

Translations

مُتَشابِهمـُمَاثِل

подобен

podobný

lignendemagen til

ähnlich gleich

παρόμοιος όμοιος

simila

semejante similar parecido análogo

samanlainen

similaire semblable conforme identique pareil

sličansukladan

hasonló

líkur, áòekkur

simile consimile pari

類似した

비슷한

panašiai

līdzīgs

podoben

liknandelik

คล้ายคลึง

benzer

tương tự

相似的

similar

[ˈsɪmɪləʳ] ADJ

1. → parecido, similar, semejante
they are of a similar colour → son de un color parecido or similar
they were of a similar age → eran más o menos de la misma edad
to be similar in shape/size → tener una forma parecida or similar, tener un tamaño parecido or similar, parecerse en la forma or el tamaño
to be similar to → parecerse a, ser parecido or similar or semejante a

2. (Geom) → semejante

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

similar

[ˈsɪmɪlə^r] adj [interests, pictures, characters, tastes, problems] → similaire, semblable
similar to sth → similaire à qch, semblable à qch
to be similar to sth → être similaire à qch, être semblable à qch
to look similar to sb → ressembler à qn
to taste similar to sth → avoir un goût semblable à celui de qch
to be similar in size → être de taille semblable, être de taille similaire
to be similar in appearance → être semblable en apparence, être d'apparence similaire
They are very similar in appearance and size → Ils sont d'apparence et de taille très semblables.
BUT Ils sont très semblables en apparence et en taille.

similar

adj → ähnlich (also Math); amount, size → fast or ungefähr gleich; to be similar to somebody/something → jdm/einer Sache ähnlich sein; this is similar to what happened before → etwas Ähnliches ist schon einmal geschehen; she and her sister are very similar, she is very similar to her sister → ihre Schwester und sie sind sich sehr ähnlich, sie ähnelt ihrer Schwester sehr; to be similar in appearance to something → eine ähnliche Erscheinung wie etw haben; they are very similar in appearance/character → sie ähneln sich äußerlich/charakterlich sehr; similar in size → ungefähr or fast gleich groß; to taste similar to something → ähnlich wie etw schmecken; they are of a similar age → sie sind etwa gleich alt; in a similar way → ähnlich; (= likewise) → genauso, ebenso

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

similar

[ˈsɪmɪləʳ] adj similar (to) → simile (a), dello stesso tipo (di)
similar in size (objects) → della stessa misura (people) → della stessa altezza
...and similar products → ... e simili

similar

(ˈsimilə) adjective

(often with to) alike in many (often most) ways. My house is similar to yours; Our jobs are similar.

simiˈlarity (-ˈlӕ-) (plural simiˈlarities) noun

ˈsimilarly adverb

in the same, or a similar, way.

similar

→ مـُمَاثِل podobný lignende ähnlich παρόμοιος similar samanlainen similaire sličan simile 類似した 비슷한 gelijksoortig tilsvarende podobny semelhante подобный liknande คล้ายคลึง benzer tương tự 相似的

similar

a. similar, semejante, parecido-a.

References in classic literature ?

As you know I have long possessed the power to cross the void in spirit, but never before have I been able to impart to inanimate things a similar power.

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When a sensation--like the hearing of a clap of thunder--is normally correlated with closely similar sensations in our neighbours, we regard it as giving knowledge of the external world, since we regard the whole set of similar sensations as due to a common external cause.

View in context

Thus in the music of the flute and of the lyre, 'harmony' and rhythm alone are employed; also in other arts, such as that of the shepherd's pipe, which are essentially similar to these.

View in context

To a person of similar sensibility this simple assertion will explain and excuse everything.

View in context

As members of distinct classes have often been adapted by successive slight modifications to live under nearly similar circumstances,--to inhabit for instance the three elements of land, air, and water,--we can perhaps understand how it is that a numerical parallelism has sometimes been observed between the sub-groups in distinct classes.

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A poor tired Italian organ-grinder, tramping with an equally tired monkey along the dusty roads, had to be bought off in a similar manner,--though he only cost sixpence.

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The "Aethiopis" thus included the coming of the Amazon Penthesilea to help the Trojans after the fall of Hector and her death, the similar arrival and fall of the Aethiopian Memnon, the death of Achilles under the arrow of Paris, and the dispute between Odysseus and Aias for the arms of Achilles.

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Similar impediments occur at every step, to exhaust the strength and delay the progress of an invader.

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With equal pleasure I have as often taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people -- a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who, by their joint counsels, arms, and efforts, fighting side by side throughout a long and bloody war, have nobly established general liberty and independence.

View in context

The features of the country are very similar along the whole northern bank of the Plata.

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And we must beg Homer and the other poets not to be angry if we strike out these and similar passages, not because they are unpoetical, or unattractive to the popular ear, but because the greater the poetical charm of them, the less are they meet for the ears of boys and men who are meant to be free, and who should fear slavery more than death.

View in context

Mercury presented himself, and striking the Philosopher with his wand, said, "And are you indeed to make yourself a judge of the dealings of Providence, who hast thyself in a similar manner treated these poor Ants?'