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Synonyms

semblance

American  
[sem-bluhns] / ˈsɛm bləns /

noun

  1. outward aspect or appearance.

    Synonyms:
    air, mien, exterior, aspect

  2. an assumed or unreal appearance; show.

    Synonyms:
    seeming

  3. the slightest appearance or trace.

  4. a likeness, image, or copy.

  5. a spectral appearance; apparition.

semblance British  
/ ˈsɛmbləns /

noun

  1. outward appearance, esp without any inner substance or reality

  2. a resemblance or copy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of semblance

1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French, equivalent to sembl ( er ) to seem ( resemble ) + -ance -ance

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"The best-case scenario is to end this conflict as quickly as possible and restore some semblance of stability."

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

“If you strike some semblance of success, it’s easy to say, ‘I’ll just keep iterating on this until I die, because it could never happen again,’” said Hamilton.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

“The company is trying to erase any semblance of the way that it used to be,” the worker said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Operation Epic Fury shares DNA with a lineage of similarly buzzy code names throughout military history, but generally speaking, they typically maintained some semblance of consultant-speak restraint.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

Nailer’s ankle burned with pain as he tried to move and stack the junk into a semblance of a tower.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.