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🟰 Exactly the same 👯 Same genes
identical

identical

66 2.6
Twins who come from one egg and have the same genes
  • adjective
  • /aɪˈdɛntɪkəl/
translation icon : idéntico
  • His identical twin brother is playing his best friend.
  • identical twins
  • genetically identical
  • monozygotic or identical

So you very, very seldom, almost never get identical mouse twins.

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Examples

  • Did you know that identical twins are never really identical?

    Single White Female (1992)

  • With a groggy start, he sees the identical brothers standing before him.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Well, we have identical brothers.

    Heart of Midnight (1988)

  • And so, you two are absolutely identical?

    Toy Story 2 (1999)

  • We are not identical twins.

    Twins (1988)

  • We have two identical tissue cultures there.

    The Angry Red Planet (1959)

  • And that means that even identical twins are not identical in terms of their phenotype, right?

    Chris Williamson

  • At first, Beldaran and I were identical twins and as close as that term implies.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Human beings have about 80,000 genes, and we are more than ninety-nine percent identical in our genetic makeup.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The two sisters are identical twins, sharing the same genetic makeup.

Synonyms

same
vsidentical
∞ 1.0

Exactly like the person or thing mentioned before

is the specific genetic twin sense rather than general equality
one and the same
vsidentical
34 3.9

Exactly the same person or thing

is the scientific adjective for genetic twin development
selfsame
vsidentical
  • Archaic
3 7.7

The exact same person or thing as before

is the biological twin sense focusing on genetic origin
isogenic
vsidentical
  • Specialized
1 8.6

Having the same genes as another living thing

applies specifically to genetics of twin origin rather than all organisms
monozygotic
vsidentical
  • Specialized
1 9.4

Twins that come from one fertilized egg and have the same genes

is the everyday adjective for that genetic twin condition
monovular
vsidentical
  • Specialized
9.7

Twins that come from one egg and have the same genes

is the general adjective used for that one-egg twin origin
syngeneic
vsidentical
  • Specialized
9.5

Having the same genes as another person or animal

focuses on twin origin specifically instead of broader tissue similarity

Antonyms

fraternal
  • Specialized
7 5.9

Twins who come from two different eggs and are not identical

Compounds

identical twin
30 3.0

A twin born from one egg who has the same DNA

How Similar

identical
66 2.6
similar
∞ 1.0
different
∞ 1.0
dissimilar
17 3.8

Surface Forms

identical positive

Morphology

identical = identity (transparent) = ident + ical

The specialized twin sense ('developed from a single fertilized egg') is a direct application of 'being the same' from 'identity', so the morphological link is clear for learners.

Etymology

Identical comes from the Latin idem, meaning 'same', and when we speak of identical twins it means they come from a single egg and share the same genes, which is why they are very alike.