Adjacent Words

Semblance definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SEM'BLANCE, n.
1. Likeness; resemblance; actual similitude; as the semblance of worth; semblance of virtue.
The semblance and initations of shells. Woodward.
2. Appearance; show; figure; form.
Their semblance kind, and mild their gestures where. Fairfax.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; "he hoped his claims would have a semblance of authenticity"; "he tried to give his falsehood the gloss of moral sanction"; "the situation soon took on a different color" [syn: semblance, gloss, color, colour]
2: an erroneous mental representation [syn: illusion, semblance]
3: picture consisting of a graphic image of a person or thing [syn: likeness, semblance]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from sembler to be like, seem — more at resemble Date: 14th century 1. a. outward and often specious appearance or show ; form <wrapped in a semblance of composure — Harry Hervey> b. modicum <has been struggling to get some semblance of justice for his people — Bayard Rustin> 2. aspect, countenance 3. a. a phantasmal form ; apparition b. image, likeness 4. actual or apparent resemblance <her story bears some semblance to the truth>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the outward or superficial appearance of something (put on a semblance of anger). 2 resemblance. Etymology: ME f. OF f. sembler f. L similare, simulare SIMULATE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Semblance Sem"blance, n. [F. See Semblable, a.] 1. Seeming; appearance; show; figure; form. Thier semblance kind, and mild their gestures were. --Fairfax. 2. Likeness; resemblance, actual or apparent; similitude; as, the semblance of worth; semblance of virtue. Only semblances or imitations of shells. --Woodward.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If there is a semblance of a particular condition or quality, it appears to exist, even though this may be a false impression. (FORMAL) At least a semblance of normality has been restored to parts of the country... N-UNCOUNT: N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Likeness, resemblance, similarity. 2. Show, appearance, seeming, figure, form, exterior, air, mien, aspect, bearing. 3. Likeness, image, similitude, representation.

Moby Thesaurus

Prospero, accordance, acting, affectation, affinity, agreement, air, airiness, alibi, alikeness, alliance, analogy, angle, aping, apology, appearance, approach, approximation, aspect, assimilation, atmosphere, attitudinizing, aura, blind, bluff, bluffing, certified copy, cheating, cloak, closeness, color, coloring, community, companion, comparability, comparison, configuration, conformity, copy, copying, correspondence, counterfeit, cover, cover story, cover-up, dead ringer, deception, delusion, delusiveness, device, disguise, dissemblance, dissembling, dissimulation, double, duplicate, ectype, effect, effigy, eidolon, exact likeness, excuse, facade, face, facet, fair copy, faithful copy, fake, fakery, faking, fallaciousness, false air, false appearance, false front, false light, false show, falseness, falsity, fashion, feature, feel, feeling, feigning, feint, fellow, figure, forgery, form, four-flushing, fraud, front, gestalt, gilt, gloss, guise, handle, humbug, humbuggery, icon, idealization, identity, idol, illusionism, illusionist, illusiveness, image, imago, imitation, immateriality, imposture, impression, lame excuse, light, likeness, likening, lineaments, living image, living picture, locus standi, look, magic, magic act, magic show, magician, manner, mask, masquerade, match, mate, meretriciousness, metaphor, mimicking, miniature, mirroring, model, mood, nearness, ostensible motive, ostentation, outward show, parallelism, parity, pasticcio, pastiche, phase, phasis, phony, photograph, picture, playacting, poor excuse, portrait, pose, posing, posture, prestidigitation, pretense, pretension, pretext, protestation, public motive, put-off, reference, reflection, refuge, regard, representation, resemblance, respect, rubbing, sameness, screen, seeming, shadow, sham, shape, show, showing, side, similarity, simile, similitude, simulacrum, simulation, slant, sleight of hand, smoke screen, sorcerer, sorcery, specious appearance, speciousness, spit and image, spitting image, stalking-horse, stratagem, style, subterfuge, total effect, trace, tracing, trick, twin, twist, unactuality, unreality, unsubstantiality, varnish, veil, veneer, very image, very picture, view, viewpoint, window dressing, wise