semblable

[ sem-bluh-buhl ]

noun

1. a person or thing that resembles or matches another; counterpart.
2. Archaic. likeness; resemblance.

adjective

, Archaic.

1. like or similar.
2. seeming or apparent.

semblable

/ ˈsɛmbləbəl /

adjective

1. resembling or similar
2. apparent rather than real

noun

1. something that resembles another thing
2. a resemblance

Derived Forms

• ˈsemblably, adverb

Other Words From

• sembla·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of semblable¹

1325–75; Middle English < Middle French, equivalent to sembl ( er ) to seem + -able -able. See semblance

Word History and Origins

Origin of semblable¹

C14: from Old French, from sembler to seem; see semblance

Example Sentences

The ending of one of his most memorable poems, “Mon Semblable,” from his 1990 collection “Between Angels,” has inspired artworks and has been repeatedly quoted in online forums:

From Washington Post

Except for the accident of time, she could have been the author’s bustled and corseted twin or sister, “mon semblable, ma soeur.”

From Washington Post

Eliot, “You! hypocrite lecteur!—mon semblable,—mon frère!”

From Forbes

We pass like ships in the night—mon semblable, mon frère—never looking up.

From Time

Cette pyramide, sauf les dimensions, est absolument semblable aux pyramides d'�gypte.

From Project Gutenberg