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 three-minute music video opens with Chet sitting on a park bench in a replica of his father’s costume from the movie, paying tribute to one of its most famous visuals. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025 Non-functioning guns, as well as BB/pellet guns and replicas can also be redeemed for $25. Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025 Photo : Jeff Brown The Night Lounge The lower-deck night lounge with its starlit ceiling—a replica of the constellations above Rotterdam from the evening of the yacht’s launch—and drop-down TV has a different feel than the rest of the interior. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2025 The replica of the P-51 Mustang was unveiled for the facility last September. Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for replica
Recent Examples of Synonyms for replica
Noun
  • The New Yorker received the National Magazine Award for photography, winning for images illustrating three very distinct stories.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The images feature the brand’s ready-to-wear, custom and bespoke suits, the latter of which are available by appointment with the company’s master tailor.
    Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Over 1,300 federal employees impacted by the Department of Education's March 11 reduction in force received their official separation notices Thursday, according to copies reviewed by ABC News.
    Arthur Jones II, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The outlet reported that the Biden administration did send copies of the report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees in December 2022, but the report was never made available online by the administration.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Lopez shares her twins Emme and Max, 17, with ex Marc Anthony.
    Hannah Sacks, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Austin was stabbed in the heart and died in the arms of his twin brother, the twins’ father said.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 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
  • The runner vine will fall off and the baby strawberry will become an adult plant that's a clone of its parent.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2025
  • In sci-fi, life tends to find a way, and some 200 years later, she's resurrected as a clone.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Building artificial skin with room to grow The researchers initially sought to create a skin imitation that could accurately mimic the three layers in human skin: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2025
  • By contrast, Doom: The Dark Ages flings the player back into the dark ages to witness a war between two factions that look like a low-rent knock-off imitation of series like Warhammer — grotesqueries and all.
    Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Photograph: Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images This story originally appeared on Vox and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
    Umair Irfan, Wired News, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Still, Hynes wasn’t about to paint a pretty picture about losing to the Isles.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 5 Apr. 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 16 Apr. 2025.

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