Word Study
identical
CIDE DICTIONARY
identical, a. [Cf. F. identique. See Identity.].
- The same; the selfsame; the very same; not different; as, the identical person or thing. [1913 Webster]"I can not remember a thing that happened a year ago, without a conviction . . . that I, the same identical person who now remember that event, did then exist." [1913 Webster]
- Uttering sameness or the same truth; expressing in the predicate what is given, or obviously implied, in the subject; tautological. [1913 Webster]"When you say body is solid, I say that you make an identical proposition, because it is impossible to have the idea of body without that of solidity." [1913 Webster]
identical, a.
In diplomacy (esp. in the form identic), precisely agreeing in sentiment or opinion and form or manner of expression; -- applied to concerted action or language which is used by two or more governments in treating with another government. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
identical, adj.
1 (often foll. by with) (of different things) agreeing in every detail.
2 (of one thing viewed at different times) one and the same.
3 (of twins) developed from a single fertilized ovum, therefore of the same sex and usu. very similar in appearance.
4 Logic & Math. expressing an identity.
1 (often foll. by with) (of different things) agreeing in every detail.
2 (of one thing viewed at different times) one and the same.
3 (of twins) developed from a single fertilized ovum, therefore of the same sex and usu. very similar in appearance.
4 Logic & Math. expressing an identity.
Derivative
identically adv. identicalness n.
Etymology
med.L identicus (as IDENTITY)
THESAURUS
identical
alike, all one, all the same, aped, biform, bifurcated, bilateral, bipartisan, bipartite, coequal, comparable, consimilar, consubstantial, convertible, coordinate, copied, correspondent, corresponding, counterfeit, dichotomous, double, duadic, dual, dualistic, duplex, duplicate, duplicated, dyadic, equal, equiparant, equipollent, equivalent, ersatz, exact, exactly alike, fake, favoring, following, homogeneous, homoousian, identic, imitated, imitation, indistinguishable, interchangeable, just alike, like, matched, matching, mimicked, mock, much the same, nearly reproduced, not unlike, one, phony, resembling, same, selfsame, similar, simulated, smacking of, something like, suggestive of, synthetic, tantamount, twain, twin, twinned, two, two-sided, undifferent, uniform with, very, without difference, without distinctionROGET THESAURUS
identical
Identity
VB be identical, coincide, coalesce, merge, treat as the same, render the same, identical, identify, recognize the identity of.N identity, sameness, coincidence, coalescence, convertibility, equality, selfness, self, oneself, identification, monotony, tautology, facsimile, homoousia: alter ego, ipsissima verba, same, self, very, one and the same, very thing, actual thing, real McCoy, no other, one and only, in the flesh, identical, self, ilk, the same, selfsame, one and the same, homoousian, coincide, coalescent, coalescing, indistinguishable, one, equivalent, tweedle dee and tweedle dum, much the same, of a muchness, unaltered, identically, on all fours.
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