English Reference

Word

facsimile

Phoneticsfac·sim·i·le

US/fækˈsɪməɫi/

UK/fæksˈɪmɪlˌi/

Definition

n. a copy of a document or book that looks exactly like the original. It is usually a high-quality reproduction used for legal or historical reasons.

n. a copy of a document or book that is identical in appearance to the original. Often used in legal or archival contexts to ensure the authenticity of a reproduction.

Examples

“The lawyer presented a facsimile of the original contract.”

“The museum displayed a facsimile of the ancient manuscript to protect the original from damage.”

“While digital scans are common, the legal department required a high-resolution facsimile to verify the signature on the historical document.”

Examples

simple

“The lawyer presented a facsimile of the original contract.”

contextual

“The museum displayed a facsimile of the ancient manuscript to protect the original from damage.”

complex

“While digital scans are common, the legal department required a high-resolution facsimile to verify the signature on the historical document.”

Real-World Examples

“And the background of every single picture is always, always, gradually creeping toward a hazy facsimile of a golden-hour sunset.”
Ars Technica · 16 Sept 2026

Etymology

From Latin fac simile (“make like”), from fac (“make”) (imperative of facere (“make”)) + simile (neuter of similis (“like, similar”)).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference