sim ‧ i ‧ lar ‧ i ‧ ty AC /ˌsɪməˈlærəti, ˌsɪmɪˈlærəti/ BrE AmE noun ( plural similarities )
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ similarity ≠ ↑ dissimilarity ; adverb : ↑ similarly ; adjective : ↑ similar ≠ ↑ dissimilar ]
[uncountable and countable] if there is a similarity between two things or people, they are similar in some way OPP difference ⇨ likeness
similarity between
There are some striking similarities between the two plays.
similarity to
the song’s close similarity to traditional Jewish music
The present crisis bears some similarity to the oil crisis of the 1970s.
similarity of
the similarity of their names
similarity in
I was struck by the similarities in their early lives.
similarity with
The police are checking for similarities with other recent attacks in the area.
There are similarities with German, though Yiddish is a distinct language.
They are both blonde, but there the similarity ends.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a remarkable/striking/marked similarity (=one that is very noticeable)
This ape's facial expressions show remarkable similarities to ours.
▪ a close/great/strong similarity
There was a close similarity between his and Smith's views on education.
▪ a certain similarity (=a particular similarity)
There are certain similarities between the two theories.
▪ a superficial similarity (=one in which an obvious feature of two things is similar, but other features are not similar)
the superficial similarities between animal behaviour and human behaviour
▪ an apparent similarity (=one that seems similar but really is not)
Many apparent similarities became less convincing on closer examination.
■ verbs
▪ there is a similarity between things
There are lots of similarities between the two bikes.
▪ bear a/some similarity to something (=be like something)
The murder bore a striking similarity to another shooting 25 miles away.
▪ have similarities (=be similar)
The two towns have many similarities.
▪ show similarities (=be obviously similar)
Twins who are raised apart still show similarities in their behaviour.
▪ the similarity ends (=there are no other similarities)
Both artists work on a small scale, but there the similarity ends.