similar
UK[ˈsɪmɪlə(r)]US[ˈsɪmɪlər]
adj
almost the same as someone or something else, but not exactly identical.
adj
having a resemblance in appearance, character, or quantity, without being identical.
Etymology
the word 'similar' entered english in the late 16th century, directly from the french 'similaire' or from its latin source 'similis', meaning 'like, resembling, of the same kind'. the latin 'similis' is thought to derive from the proto-indo-european root sem-, meaning 'one, together', which also gives us words like 'same', 'simple', and 'assemble'. the semantic journey from 'one' to 'like' is logical, as things that are alike share a common, singular quality. thus, 'similar' retains its core latin meaning, describing things that are alike but not necessarily the same in every detail.
Analysis
the word 'similar' is a simplex loanword from latin. it is not productively segmented into smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern english spelling.
Examples
the two houses are remarkably similar in design.
we have very similar tastes in music.
the experiment produced results similar to those of earlier studies.