similarsimilar /ˈsɪməlɚ/ adjective 
► similar AWL
► similar AWL almost the same, but not exactly: I gave her a necklace similar to the one I gave my mom. The teams play against other teams who are similar in age, so for example you don't get 10-year-olds playing against 15-year-olds.
► like like means the same as similar to but sounds less formal: The meat tastes like chicken. I want a pair of shoes like yours. ➔ GRAMMAR: Like is a preposition and must be followed by a noun or pronoun. Don't say: The two necklaces are like. Say: The two necklaces are similar/alike or This necklace is like that one.
► alike very similar. You use alike especially about the way people look or behave: The two brothers look alike. ➔ GRAMMAR: You cannot use alike before a noun. Don't say: We wear alike clothes. Say: We dress alike.
► close very similar: We want to make the movie as close to the original as possible. ➔ GRAMMAR: Close is not usually used before a noun with this meaning, but you can say that something is the closest thing to something: My mother died when I was little, so my Aunt Ruth was the closest thing to a mother I had.
► equivalent AWL the same in value, level, size, or importance as something of a different type: The visa costs $25 or the equivalent amount in pesos. People say that one year in the life of a dog is equivalent to seven human years.
► comparable similar to something else in size, number, or quality so that you can easily compare the two things: An apartment of comparable size costs much less in the suburbs than it costs in the city.
► corresponding AWL relating to or similar to something else that existed in a different time or situation: Sales in May were 10% higher than in the corresponding period last year.
► matching similar to something else in color, style, pattern, or material: She was wearing silver earrings and a matching silver bracelet.
➔ see same, equalADVERBS: similarYou can make the adjectives similar, close, equivalent, comparable, and corresponding into adverbs by using an -ly ending: The kids were dressed similarly. | The plot of the movie follows the book closely. | A comparably sized apartment in the suburbs would cost much less.