mirror image

American  

noun

1. an image of an object, plan, person, etc., as it would appear if viewed in a mirror, with right and left reversed.

2. an object having a spatial arrangement that corresponds to that of another object except that the right-to-left sense on one object corresponds to the left-to-right sense on the other.

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mirror image British  

noun

1. an image as observed in a mirror

2. an object that corresponds to another object in the same way as it would correspond to its image in a mirror

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Etymology

Origin of mirror image

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Giannoni sees unemployment decreasing to 4% this year with inflation holding around 2.8%—the mirror image of Cleveland’s forecast.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

“We’re seeing somewhat of a mirror image of what we saw last year, to a certain extent,” Lefkowitz told MarketWatch in an interview.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

The risk is a pile-on that would be the mirror image of Bitcoin ETFs’ role in last year’s Bitcoin rally, when the surge of inflows to the new funds helped drive the crypto higher.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Synthetic biologists have been eager to take inspiration from existing molecules and use it to create tiny mirror image organisms, or mirror bacteria.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2025

Joan's room, with its closet and bureau and table and chair and white blanket with the big blue C on it, was a mirror image of my own.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Related Words

• carbon copy