resemble

Resemble is a verb meaning to be similar to someone or something in appearance, form, or character. It is used to indicate likeness between people, objects, or ideas, for example: “She resembles her mother” or “The new design resembles earlier prototypes.” The word emphasizes likeness rather than exact identity and is commonly paired with modifiers such as closely, strongly, or markedly: “closely resemble,” “bear a strong resemblance to.”

Etymology: Resemble comes from Old French ressembler, from re- and sembler (to seem), with roots in the idea of seeming or being like. In modern English, resemble is a transitive verb and takes a direct object: X resembles Y. It typically does not take the preposition to, as in “X resembles Y,” not “resembles to Y.” The reciprocal form can appear as “X and Y resemble each other.”

Usage notes: Resemble can describe appearance, behavior, or other qualities, including how something functions or is structured: “The two theories resemble each other in method.” It is similar to look like and to bear a resemblance to; choose resemble for more formal or descriptive contexts. The noun form is resemblance; the adjectival form is resembling, as in “a resemblance to” or “a resembling figure.” While closely related to look alike, resemble often carries a nuance of comparative likeness rather than exact sameness.