Synonym Chooser

How does the noun replica differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of replica are copy, duplicate, facsimile, and reproduction. While all these words mean "a thing made to closely resemble another," replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details, but not always in the same scale.

a replica of the Mayflower
miniature replicas of classic cars

When would copy be a good substitute for replica?

The words copy and replica can be used in similar contexts, but copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When is duplicate a more appropriate choice than replica?

The synonyms duplicate and replica are sometimes interchangeable, but duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When could facsimile be used to replace replica?

While the synonyms facsimile and replica are close in meaning, facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

Where would reproduction be a reasonable alternative to replica?

In some situations, the words reproduction and replica are roughly equivalent. However, reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of replica The same replica also appeared at President Donald Trump's Florida home at Mar-a-Lago earlier in 2024, according to JNS. Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025 Also, Mark Rober, who has over 65 million subscribers on YouTube, tested the vehicle's autonomous cameras by driving at a screen with an exact replica of the road behind it, in the style of a Looney Tunes sketch. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025 In designing and building a replica, Glotz said the village strived to respect the long legacy of Teehan’s and worked with Regis Teehan to stay true to the tavern’s heritage. Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025 One approach would be to ramp up artificial neural networks to the level of being an exact replica of a human brain. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for replica
Recent Examples of Synonyms for replica
Noun
  • The women aren't seen again until 11 hours later, when, at 4:30 p.m. a security camera recorded the grainy image showing Pearce with Christy over his shoulder at the top of the stairs.
    Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2025
  • On the heels of his success, Chamberlain relocated to England to shed his TV heartthrob image and train as a series actor.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Both sets sold a little less than 2,000 copies, while streaming activity made up the rest of those 14,000-plus units.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The copy is one of 350 books produced in 1985, and Hart had a hand in creating that unique collection.
    Madelaine K. Boyer, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The twins’ family contacted CAIR one day after the locker room attack, leading to the nonprofit’s involvement in the situation, Memon said.
    Yash Roy, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The two went on to have five more children: twins Vivian and Griffin, 20, and triplets Kai, Saxon and Damian, 19.
    Hannah Sacks, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Ryan pointed to a Model T 100, a reproduction done of the Ford Model T done in 2003 for the 100th anniversary of the company.
    Jamie L. LaReau, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Second, how do social groups affect individual survival and reproduction – in other words, what group traits are under selection?
    Conner Philson, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Moreover, the combination of the specific chord progression in the melody paired with the verbatim hook was a greater than 50% clone of Vance’s original work, in both lyric choice and chord expressions.
    Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The film, which stars Robert Pattinson as a clone who works menial jobs in a futuristic dystopia, will likely lose between $75 million to $80 million during its theatrical run, according to three sources with knowledge of the economics of movies on this scale.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The vast majority of the country's motorcycle sector continues to print imitation motorcycles at the most economical possible cost, and even that has become an outdated practice.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Loss of human connection Deepfakes and imitations AI becoming too powerful to manage Smart AI taking over infrastructure Bias and discrimination Some of the other things that researchers found are really different flavors of these broader concerns.
    John Werner, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Authorities later discovered texts allegedly sent by Yolanda that help paint a picture of what led up to Rebecca’s murder.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Information from one tipster led investigators to believe Sharkey may have attempted to take a picture or video during the incident, Snapp said.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Clones are as much a sci-fi staple as robots, spaceships, and time travel, with every major franchise dabbling with duplicates somewhere down the line.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Fans painstakingly catalogue their collections, trade duplicates, and share creative DIY modifications.
    Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Replica.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/replica. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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