ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Semblance

/ˈsɛmblən(t)s/ · noun

Meaning

(countable) The outward appearance or form of a person or thing..

Definitions by Sense

(countable) The outward appearance or form of a person or thing.
(countable) Followed by of: a person or thing that is seen; an apparition, a vision.
(countable) Followed by of: a person or thing that looks similar to another person or thing; a likeness.
(countable, always in the negative) Followed by of: a bare or mere appearance of something.
(countable) A person's non-verbal behaviour or demeanour which shows their feelings, thoughts, etc., or which is faked to hide such true feelings, thoughts, etc.
(countable, dated) In the form make semblance: an act of appearing; an appearance, a manifestation; also, a false appearance, a pretence.
(uncountable, archaic) The quality or state of being similar; likeness, resemblance, similarity.
(uncountable, obsolete) The chance of something happening; likelihood, probability.

Example Sentences

Oft haue I ſeene a timely-parted Ghoſt, / Of aſhy ſemblance, meager, pale, and bloodleſſe, […]

Be you the Souldier, for you likeſt are / For manly ſemblance, and ſmall skill in vvarre: […]

Perhaps my ſemblance might deceive the truth, / That I to manhood am arriv'd ſo near, / And invvard ripenes doth much leſs appear, / That ſom more timely-happy ſpirits indu'th.

ACERONIA. […] The eye of Rome / And the Prætorian camp have long rever'd, / VVith cuſtom'd avve, the daughter, ſiſter, vvife, / And mother of their Cæsars. / AGRIPPINA. Ha, by Juno, / It bears a noble ſemblance.

Thou, whose exterior semblance doth belie / Thy soul's immensity; […]

[I]t may be the vulgar part of human nature which busies itself with the semblance and doings of living sovereigns, it is its nobler part which busies itself with those of the dead; […]

Still she bears her weird [charm or spell] alone, / In the Valley of Saint John. / And her semblance oft will seem / Mingling in a champion's dream, / Of her weary lot to plain, / And crave his aid to burst her chain.

England, seated far north in the turbid sea, now visits my dreams in the semblance of a vast and well-manned ship, which mastered the winds and rode proudly over the waves.

Word Forms

semblances
semblaunce

Synonyms for semblance

Related Words

When Should You Use Semblance?

Use semblance when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does semblance mean?

Semblance means (countable) The outward appearance or form of a person or thing..

What is a synonym for semblance?

Common synonyms include veneer, portrait, illusion, color.

What is the opposite of semblance?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use semblance in a sentence?

Oft haue I ſeene a timely-parted Ghoſt, / Of aſhy ſemblance, meager, pale, and bloodleſſe, […]

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.

ENGLISH DICTIONARY

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Definitions by Sense

(countable) The outward appearance or form of a person or thing.

(countable) Followed by of: a person or thing that is seen; an apparition, a vision.

(countable) Followed by of: a person or thing that looks similar to another person or thing; a likeness.

(countable, always in the negative) Followed by of: a bare or mere appearance of something.

(countable) A person's non-verbal behaviour or demeanour which shows their feelings, thoughts, etc., or which is faked to hide such true feelings, thoughts, etc.

(countable, dated) In the form make semblance: an act of appearing; an appearance, a manifestation; also, a false appearance, a pretence.

(uncountable, archaic) The quality or state of being similar; likeness, resemblance, similarity.

(uncountable, obsolete) The chance of something happening; likelihood, probability.

Example Sentences

Oft haue I ſeene a timely-parted Ghoſt, / Of aſhy ſemblance, meager, pale, and bloodleſſe, […]

Be you the Souldier, for you likeſt are / For manly ſemblance, and ſmall skill in vvarre: […]

Perhaps my ſemblance might deceive the truth, / That I to manhood am arriv'd ſo near, / And invvard ripenes doth much leſs appear, / That ſom more timely-happy ſpirits indu'th.

ACERONIA. […] The eye of Rome / And the Prætorian camp have long rever'd, / VVith cuſtom'd avve, the daughter, ſiſter, vvife, / And mother of their Cæsars. / AGRIPPINA. Ha, by Juno, / It bears a noble ſemblance.

Thou, whose exterior semblance doth belie / Thy soul's immensity; […]

[I]t may be the vulgar part of human nature which busies itself with the semblance and doings of living sovereigns, it is its nobler part which busies itself with those of the dead; […]

Still she bears her weird [charm or spell] alone, / In the Valley of Saint John. / And her semblance oft will seem / Mingling in a champion's dream, / Of her weary lot to plain, / And crave his aid to burst her chain.

England, seated far north in the turbid sea, now visits my dreams in the semblance of a vast and well-manned ship, which mastered the winds and rode proudly over the waves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does semblance mean?

Semblance means (countable) The outward appearance or form of a person or thing..

What is a synonym for semblance?

Common synonyms include veneer, portrait, illusion, color.

What is the opposite of semblance?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use semblance in a sentence?

Oft haue I ſeene a timely-parted Ghoſt, / Of aſhy ſemblance, meager, pale, and bloodleſſe, […]

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.