Semblance

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛmblən(t)s/

Definitions

1. An outward appearance that can mislead regarding the actual state of affairs
2. A deceptive outward appearance that contrasts with the inner reality
3. The visible or apparent form of something that might not reflect its true nature

Etymology: The core idea of "semblance" is resemblance, and its shift toward "a surface that hides the truth" is the striking part. The word descends from Latin "similis," meaning "like" or "similar," through a Late Latin verb meaning "to make oneself like" and then Old French "sembler," "to seem." The Old French present participle "semblant" gave rise to the noun "semblance," and English borrowed it in the Middle Ages with a wide range of senses: outward form, likeness, facial expression, even a symbolic image. Among those early senses was "appearance without reality," which is the one that survives today. The idea of a seeming that might not match what lies beneath was already present in the Middle English usage, so the modern sense of a misleading surface grew out of the word's original meaning of merely looking alike. The word is related to "simulate" and "similar," which share the same Latin ancestor.

Synonyms: appearance, likeness, image, form, resemblance

Antonyms: reality, truth, genuineness, authenticity, substance