Dissimilis

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by a lack of similarity or resemblance; indicating a difference that distinguishes one element from another; pertaining to qualities that do not resemble or correspond with each other
2. Describing features that set things apart through contrast; emphasizing attributes that diverge significantly from what is expected or typical; relating to instances of explicit dissimilarity in form or function
3. Denoting a condition where two or more elements exhibit notable distinctions; highlighting aspects that make things inherently different in nature or appearance; associating with the notion of being unequal or unlike in quality or characteristics

Etymology: "Dissimilis" is Latin, built from the prefix "dis-", meaning "apart" or "not", and "similis", meaning "like" or "similar." Together they give a plain sense of "unlike" or "different in kind," and the word belongs to the same family as "similis," which also gave English "similar" and "simile." It is a Latin adjective in its own right, used in classical texts to describe things that do not match one another. The form itself is the base of a family of words in the Romance languages, and its meaning stays close to its component parts: the prefix pushes against the sense of resemblance rather than adding anything new. Because it is a transparent compound from ordinary Latin roots, it has no hidden story of transformation to tell, and its history is essentially the history of "similis" with a negating prefix attached.

Synonyms: dissimilar, different, unlike

Antonyms: similar, alike, identical