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 Near-identical replicas were produced so that powerful film lights wouldn't damage the paintings. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2025 Stark also parked his miniature red Ferrari — a 75% replica of a vintage Ferrari — in the home’s grand salon. Ray Parisi, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2025 At one point, Wei tries to sell an impressive falsified copy of the deer painting by Ren’s father, implying that the replica can produce a similar feeling as the authentic. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025 To find out for sure, experts scanned the artifact with advanced technology then built a replica based on the scan. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for replica
Recent Examples of Synonyms for replica
Noun
  • But despite the media blitz projecting images of an unrelenting nationwide sweep, so far, the deportation of migrants is well below the monthly average during the Biden administration, and there is little evidence that ICE is arresting or detaining any more people than usual.
    Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Marketers selling the dream vacation populate their brochures with images from these picturesque locations.
    Roger Dooley, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Film footage taken of the flag-raising in action proves the photo’s authenticity, though the original copy has been lost.
    Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2025
  • The notices of firings and leaves come on top of hundreds of USAID contractors receiving no-name form letters of termination over the weekend, according to copies that the AP viewed.
    Ellen Knickmeyer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Our family has always been so obsessed with the fact there were two sets of twins born to the same parents in our family.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Trachtenberg plays Jenny, one-half of a set of twins who, along with some boisterous male buddies, sets off on a summer tour of Europe.
    Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Six huge modernist panels line the walls, illustrating a boldly revisionist pantheon of Black art through the ages, reproductions of the originals Hale Aspacio Woodruff painted for Clark Atlanta University in 1952.
    Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
  • One option is to keep Pheromone super sticky glue traps, which attract the male moths, therefore removing them from the reproduction cycle, in your wardrobe or around your home.
    Ellie Pithers, Vogue, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • And the actor – who plays an explorer and his clone in this trippy sci-fi adventure – managed to at least double the cheering inside the theater after the film’s credits rolled.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
  • The remake will be the first mainline entry (or at least, revisiting of one) since 2015’s Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which served as a sequel to Snake Eater once again following Naked Snake after the fourth entry jumped back to his clone as the lead.
    Ashley Bardhan, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Eddie Murphy, who once rescued Saturday Night Live during a rough patch in the 1980s, rescued a sketch in the show’s 50th anniversary special with a note-perfect imitation of Tracy Morgan.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
  • From frame one, Bob Dylan, the creation, the idea, the trickster, the lone wolf, without attitude or affectation, your Dylan was no imitation.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Voters for best organic picture tend to keep things gritty and real — otherwise why exclude machine creations in the first place?
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The winner of the Oscar for best picture is always controversial.
    Hannah Madlener, Glamour, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Our 1949 and 1950 trips were duplicates of the 1948 hunt.
    Tom Stacer, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025
  • This data will mitigate the ongoing Medicaid duplicate discount issues by allowing J&J to more effectively track and prevent duplicate discounts.
    Rita Numerof, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Replica.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/replica. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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