Identical: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes

Meaning 1：exactly the same (identical)

identical 🔊

/aɪˈdɛntɪkəl/

adj.

When two things are identical, they are the same in every way, and you can't tell them apart.

Identical twins illustration showing two girls with matching uniforms and hairstyles in a classroom.

exactly the same 🔊

➕

/ɪɡˈzæktli ðə seɪm/

adj.

Refers to things that are so similar that they cannot be distinguished from each other.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'identicus', meaning 'the same'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'ID card' – identical things share the same identity, no differences.

📖 Example

She bought the identical phone as her friend, same model and color, and even the same phone case. 🔊 She purchased the exact same phone as her friend, including model, color, and case.

🔗 Collocations

identical twins – twins that are genetically the same

identical to – exactly the same as

identical copy – a duplicate indistinguishable from the original

🔄 Synonyms

same (adj.) – not different or changed

indistinguishable (adj.) – impossible to tell apart

alike (adj.) – similar in appearance or character

🚫 Antonyms

different (adj.) – not the same

distinct (adj.) – clearly different

dissimilar (adj.) – not alike

🌱 Derivatives

identically (adv.) – in an identical manner

identity (n.) – the fact of being who or what a person or thing is

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'identicus', based on 'idem' (same). Commonly used in genetics for identical twins and in manufacturing for identical products.