Meaning of similar in English

similar

adjective

/ˈsɪm.ɪ.lər/ us

/ˈsɪm.ə.lɚ/

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looking or being almost, but not exactly, the same:

My father and I have similar views on politics.

I bought some new shoes which are very similar to a pair I had before.

Paul is very similar in appearance to his brother.

Synonym

alike

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

looking or being almost but not exactly the same

similarI have a sofa quite similar to yours.
likeShe's a lot like her mother.
alikeThe girls look alike.
closeMy cousin and I are quite close in age.
something likeI was worried something like this would happen.

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More examplesFewer examples

The two sisters are so similar that it's almost impossible to tell one from the other.
We come from similar backgrounds, so we speak the same language.
People often mix us up because we look so similar.
This fabric is similar to wool, only cheaper.
Insurance companies are already overburdened with similar claims.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Similar and the same

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Grammar

Same, similar, identical

Same means that two or more things are exactly like one another. We can use same as an adjective before a noun or as a pronoun. When we use same to compare people or things, we must use it with the: …

(Definition of similar from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

similar | American Dictionary

similar

adjective

/ˈsɪm·ə·lər/

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looking or being almost the same, although not exactly:

They both went to Ivy League schools and have similar backgrounds.

He used similar tactics to win the last election.

similarly

adverb us

/ˈsɪm·ə·lər·li/

The disease affects both sexes similarly.

(Definition of similar from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of similar

similar

Women were similar at entry to the study in the four groups.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

For the remaining cases the proofs are similar.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The results for 15 %\25 % selection are similar to those for 20 %\20 % selection.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

For this example, the numbers of adults show a similar pattern.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This inequality is the reverse of inequality (10), and its biological interpretation is similar.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

We will check the first statement, the other being similar.

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We will prove it for the -limit, the other part being similar.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

For both of these cases, it is clear that the equilibrium interface shape and final equilibrium configuration are very similar for the two cases.

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The dissociation levels near the body are similar for the different free-stream conditions.

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The results were seen to be similar for both sets of boundary conditions.

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The negative branches are similar to the positive ones.

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A natural question is how far similar methods could apply in the current setting.

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The findings were similar for the early-onset alcohol group.

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On screen are four decks of cards with a similar appearance.

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A similar procedure was used at each of the first four waves of measurement.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

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