Similarities

How to spell similarities

12 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce similarities

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does similarities mean?

1. nounPoints or features in which two or more things are alike.

Similarities in a sentence

• The report listed several similarities between the two business models.

• Despite the price gap, the similarities in design were obvious.

Where does similarities come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin adjective similis, which meant simply 'like' or 'resembling'. From similis, Latin built the noun similitas for the quality of being alike, and medieval Latin extended it to similaritas. The form travelled into English through French during the late medieval and early modern period, giving us 'similar' and then the abstract noun 'similarity', with the plural 'similarities' covering several points of likeness at once. The same simil- root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'simile', 'simulate' and 'assimilate', all carrying the underlying idea of being or making alike. The spelling trap lives in the unstressed middle: writers reach for the strong 'lar' sound but forget the quiet 'i' before the '-ties' ending, and must hold all three of the i, a and i vowels in place.

How the word is built

• simil- (from Latin similis: like, resembling)
• -ar (adjective)
• -ity (noun-forming)
• -es (plural)