Likenesses

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlaɪknəsɪz/

Definitions

  1. similarities or resemblances between things or individuals | representations that depict shared attributes or characteristics among entities | visual or conceptual correspondences that highlight common features of diverse subjects
  2. correspondences or similarities found among various entities | representations that showcase common traits or features shared by objects or individuals | depictions or illustrations that reflect the shared essence or characteristics of different subjects
  3. Resemblances or similarities among people or things | visual renderings or representations of someone or something | manifestations of shared features that create connections between different subjects

Etymology: The noun in question stems from the base word "likeness," which itself emerged in English during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century. Originally, "likeness" described the quality or state of being like or similar to someone or something, often in physical appearance. This sense traces back to the Old English "gelīcnes," formed from "gelīc," meaning "like" or "similar," combined with the nominal suffix "-nes," which creates abstract nouns expressing a condition or quality. Over time, the term broadened beyond mere physical resemblance to encompass similarity in character, nature, or other attributes. The plural form, indicated by the suffix "-es," simply denotes multiple instances or examples of such similarity. Hence, "likenesses" refers to various resemblances or representations, often used in contexts like portraits, images, or figurative comparisons. While the formation of the plural is straightforward and follows regular English morphological patterns, the word carries an underlying connection to the way humans perceive and categorize similarity. This conceptual link to resemblance is rooted in the Proto-Germanic ancestor "*galīkaz," meaning "like" or "similar," which also gave rise to related English words such as "like" and "likely." Thus, the plural form maintains a direct line from the medieval English concept of resemblance to present-day uses, highlighting how the language adapts to express multiple instances of likeness, whether tangible or abstract.

Synonyms: similarities, resemblances

Antonyms: differences