identical

adjective

iden·​ti·​cal ī-ˈden-ti-kəl 

ə-

1

: being the same : selfsame

the identical place we stopped before

2

: having such close resemblance as to be essentially the same

identical hats

—often used with to or with

3

a

: having the same cause or origin

identical infections

b

: monozygotic

identically

ī-ˈden-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ə-

adverb

identicalness

ī-ˈden-ti-kəl-nəs 

ə-

noun

Synonyms

• same
• selfsame
• very

Choose the Right Synonym for identical

same, selfsame, very, identical, equivalent, equal mean not different or not differing from one another.

same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.

took the same route

derived from the selfsame source

very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

Examples of identical in a Sentence

We visited the identical place we stopped at last year.

They were wearing identical coats.

The boxes were identical in shape.

They drove virtually identical cars.

The results were identical to those of the first test.

Recent Examples on the Web

Her sisters, with their identical looks, would prank teachers by switching places. —Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

Honda and Nissan on Tuesday issued identical statements saying no merger had been announced by either company. —Reuters, Detroit Free Press, 17 Dec. 2024

Older people who might not be as familiar with new technologies such as AI can be particularly susceptible to these types of scams, particularly when the caller on the other line sounds identical to a loved one. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2024

Their conversation points to the poem’s second radical choice: God and the Son are neither identical nor coexistent. —Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from Medieval Latin identicus, from Late Latin identitas

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing identical

• identical twin
• self-identical

Kids Definition

identical

adjective

iden·​ti·​cal ī-ˈdent-i-kəl 

ə-ˈdent-

1

: being one and the same

the identical place we stopped at last year

2

: exactly alike or equal

wearing identical coats

identically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

identicalness

-kəl-nəs 

noun

Medical Definition

identical

adjective

iden·​ti·​cal ī-ˈdent-i-kəl, ə- 

: monozygotic

identical twins