dissimilarity

noun

dis·​sim·​i·​lar·​i·​ty (ˌ)di(s)-ˌsi-mə-ˈler-ə-tē 

plural dissimilarities

: the quality or state of being dissimilar : difference in appearance or nature

… a recurrent trope in Hanks's stories is stressing the dissimilarity of life to cinema: lovers worry that they have become "like characters in a movie"; siblings close in age refuse to dress "like twins in some movie".

—Mark Lawson

Whatever their dissimilarities, neither Stalin nor Khrushchev nor Brezhnev wanted a war with the United States.

—John Lewis Gaddis

The exhibition looks past any superficial dissimilarities between the two and instead focus on what makes each a great photographer: the willingness to follow the story and get the right shot.

—The Huffington Post

Synonyms

• contrast
• difference
• disagreement
• discrepancy
• disparateness
• disparity
• dissimilitude
• distance
• distinction
• distinctiveness
• distinctness
• diverseness
• diversity
• otherness
• unlikeness

Examples of dissimilarity in a Sentence

the effectiveness of a metaphor largely depends upon the superficial dissimilarity of the two things being compared

Recent Examples on the Web

Whether consumers are confused by the similarity (or dissimilarity) of the two designs goes to the heart of the dispute. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 July 2024

Still, the dissimilarities, in his view, outweighed the similarities. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2024

Sodium is another notable nutrient dissimilarity between the two drinks. —Sarah Garone, Health, 14 Feb. 2024

Another dissimilarity between the historical Cold War and today’s competition is the global context. —Wang Jisi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

dissimilar + -ity, after similarity

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined above