This is a copy of a photo of a painting. I guess that makes it a third level simulacrum.
Source: tatoeba (901915)
Simulacrum
/ˌsɪmjʊˈleɪkɹəm/
Synonyms for "simulacrum" (220 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (44)
Strong matches (66)
dissemblancedissemblingdissimulationdoubledummyduplicateectypeeffecteffigyeidolonequivalentersatzexact likenessfacadefacefacetfair copyfaithful copyfakefakement
Show 45 more words
fakeryfakingfallaciousnessfalse airfalse appearancefalse frontfalse lightfalse showfalsenessfalsityfashionfeaturefeigningfeintfellowfigureforgeryformfour-flushingframe upframe-upfraudfrontgestaltgiltglossguisehoaxhumbughumbuggeryiconidealizationidolillusionismillusionistillusivenessimageimagoimitationimmaterialityimpostorimpostureimpressionjunkkindred spirit
Noun(1 words)
Related words (110)
lightlikelikenesslineamentsliving imageliving picturelookmagicmagic actmagic showmagicianmannermasqueradematchmatemeretriciousnessminiaturemirroringmockmodel
Show 87 more words
near duplicateobverseostentationoutward showparallelpastepasticciopastichependantphasephasisphonyphotographpicturepinchbeckplayactingportraitposeposingpostureprestidigitationpretensepretensionpretextprosperoput onput up jobput-onput-up jobreciprocalreferencereflectionregardrepresentationresemblancerespectringerrip offrip-offrubbingsecond selfseemingsemblanceshadowshamshapeshoddyshowshowingsidesimilitudesimulationsisterslantsleight of handsorcerersorcerysoul matespecious appearancespeciousnessspitspit and imagespitting imagestylesuchsuchlikeswindletallythe like ofthe likes oftinseltotal effecttracetracingtwintwistunactualityunrealityunsubstantialityvarnishvery imagevery pictureviewviewpointwhited sepulcherwindow dressingwise
Noun(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: image, acting, affectation, airiness, ally.
- Sentence evidence is available for simulacrum, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "simulacrum".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "simulacrum"
Keep "simulacrum" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "simulacrum" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "simulacrum", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "simulacrum" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
6 entriesMore specific
5 entriesCollocations
6 entriescultural simulacrumhyperreal simulacrummass media simulacrumpolitical simulacrumpostmodern simulacrumsimulacrum of reality
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
1 entriesSample sentences
11 total sentences available.
a simulacrum of a New York studio apartment
Source: wiktionary
[H]e crossed the haunted Almo, renowned of yore for its healing virtues, and whose stream the far-famed simulacrum, the image of Cybele,) which fell from heaven, was wont to be laved with every coming spring; […]
Source: wiktionary
Is it not strange to reflect, […] that nightly we lay down our gold, to fashion forth simulacra of peasants, in gay ribands and white bodices, singing sweet songs, and bowing gracefully to the picturesque crosses: and all the while the veritable peasants are kneeling, songlessly, to veritable crosses, in another temper than the kind and fair audiences deem of, and assuredly with another kind of answer than is got out of the opera catastrophe; […] If all the gold that has gone to paint the simulacra of the cottages, and to put new songs in the mouths of the simulacra of the peasants, had gone to brighten the existent cottages, and to put new songs in the mouths of the existent peasants, it might in the end, perhaps, have turned out better so, not only for the peasant, but for even the audience.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 11 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "simulacrum"?
Closest matches include image, acting, affectation, airiness, ally.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "simulacrum"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.