ENGLISH
REFERENCE

clone

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɫoʊn// UK //klˈəʊn// clone Informal Slang

n. an exact copy of a person, animal, or plant. You can also use it to describe a person who looks or acts exactly like someone else.

n. an organism or cell produced asexually from one ancestor, to which it is genetically identical. In broader usage, refers to a person or thing that is an exact replica of another.


SIMPLE

Scientists successfully created a clone of the sheep.

CONTEXTUAL

The new smartphone is a cheap clone of the leading brand's flagship model.

COMPLEX

Ethical debates surrounding the possibility of a human clone often focus on the psychological impact of being a genetic duplicate of another individual.

Synonyms
Origin

Coined (in botany) in 1903, based on Ancient Greek κλών (klṓn, “twig”). Figurative use from the 1970s.

Usage

Commonly used as a metaphor for unoriginality in creative or commercial contexts.

© 2026 English Reference