semblance

noun

sem·​blance ˈsem-blən(t)s 

1

a

: outward and often specious appearance or show : form

wrapped in a semblance of composure

—Harry Hervey

b

: modicum

has been struggling to get some semblance of justice for his people

—Bayard Rustin

2

: aspect, countenance

3

a

: a phantasmal form : apparition

b

: image, likeness

4

: actual or apparent resemblance

her story bears some semblance to the truth

Synonyms

• act
• airs
• charade
• disguise
• facade
• façade
• front
• guise
• masquerade
• playacting
• pose
• pretense
• pretence
• put-on
• show

Examples of semblance in a Sentence

tried to project some semblance of confidence even though public speaking terrified her

a used-car dealer with only a semblance of honesty

Recent Examples on the Web

Some people can stop drinking alcohol for a month and do so without any semblance of preparation or planning. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025

Now, the challenge lies in managing the rising cost of basics while maintaining a semblance of self-care. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025

Before the war, in Budapest, László was a much admired architect; adrift in America, trying to claw back some semblance of a legacy, he will, during the next thirteen years, be taken in and ejected, indulged and sneered at, embraced and exploited—and, finally, horrifically abused and cast aside. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024

Restoring electricity and fuel supplies is not just a practical necessity but also a precondition for economic activity and a semblance of normalcy. —Karam Shaar, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English semblance, semblaunce "outward appearance, mere appearance, show, facial expression, likeness," borrowed from Anglo-French, "likeness, form, demeanor, resemblance," from sembler "to resemble, seem, appear" (going back to Latin simulāre, similāre "to pretend, assume the appearance of by one's conduct, imitate") + -ance, -aunce -ance — more at simulate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

semblance

noun

sem·​blance ˈsem-blən(t)s 

1

: outward and often misleading appearance or show

2

: one that resembles another : likeness, image