dissimilar

adjective

dis·​sim·​i·​lar (ˌ)di(s)-ˈsi-mə-lər 

-ˈsim-lər

: not the same or similar : different or unalike

people with dissimilar backgrounds

dissimilar materials

The responsibilities of the resident were not dissimilar to those of the intern …

—James D. Hardy

dissimilarly

(ˈ)di(s)-ˈsi-mə-lər-lē 

-ˈsim-lər-

adverb

Synonyms

• different
• disparate
• distant
• distinct
• distinctive
• distinguishable
• diverse
• nonidentical
• other
• unalike
• unlike

Examples of dissimilar in a Sentence

The two movies are very dissimilar.

The writers have dissimilar backgrounds.

The question is not dissimilar to one asked earlier.

Recent Examples on the Web

What To Watch This Weekend: New Shows And Movies To Stream On Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV And More In fact, the ability to well in the realm of love is not too dissimilar to that required to do well in your career, as there are many clear parallels between love and work. —Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

Between the lines: Reading not only improves cognition, but also self-esteem and empathy when finding stories both similar and dissimilar to our own, studies show. —Marina E. Franco (noticias Telemundo For Axios), Axios, 12 Dec. 2024

Their approach in attack was not too dissimilar to Manchester City, with runners on the left and traditional crossers on the right. —Mark Carey, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024

Players can redecorate their homes with a build mode not too dissimilar from that in Fortnite Battle Royale. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin dissimilāris, from Latin dis- dis- + Medieval Latin similāris similar

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dissimilar

• not dissimilar

Kids Definition

dissimilar

adjective

dis·​sim·​i·​lar (ˈ)dis-ˈ(s)im-ə-lər 

: different sense 1, unlike

dissimilarity

(ˌ)dis-ˌ(s)im-ə-ˈlar-ət-ē 

noun

dissimilarly

(ˈ)dis-ˈ(s)im-ə-lər-lē 

adverb