What does dissimilarity mean?
Dissimilarity is a formal noun meaning the quality or condition of being different or unlike. It can refer to difference in a general sense — as when writers contrast the overall dissimilarity between two cultures or eras — or to a specific point of difference, as in scientific writing that identifies one key dissimilarity between two specimens. The word typically appears with the preposition 'between,' linking the items being compared, and it belongs chiefly to academic, legal, and analytical registers rather than everyday speech, where simpler words like 'difference' usually suffice. It derives from the Latin root similis, meaning 'like,' combined with the negative prefix 'dis-,' so its structure literally spells out its meaning: not similar. Because it names both a broad condition of unlikeness and any individual instance of it, dissimilarity is a precise, useful term whenever a writer wants to emphasize contrast with a slightly elevated tone.
nounThe state or quality of being different or unlike; a point or respect in which two things differ.
- The state or fact of being unlike or different; unlikeness in general.
- A specific way in which two things differ; a point of difference.
"Despite their close kinship, the dissimilarity between the two sisters' temperaments was striking."
"The dissimilarity between rural and urban life is evident in almost every aspect of daily routine."
"Researchers noted one crucial dissimilarity: the two compounds reacted differently under heat."
The plural is used when referring to multiple distinct points of difference between things being compared.
"The report catalogued the many dissimilarities between the two proposed designs."
Dissimilarity is just 'similarity' wearing a double-negative disguise — 'dis-' plus 'similar' — meaning it literally means 'un-likeness.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dissimilarity
Dissimilarity comes from the adjective 'dissimilar,' formed from the Latin prefix dis- ('not, apart') plus similis ('like, resembling'), the same root that gives us 'similar' and 'simile.' The noun was formed in English by adding the Latinate suffix '-ity,' following the pattern of 'similarity.' The word entered English usage in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, during a period when scholars were freely coining abstract nouns from Latin roots. Its closest relatives — 'similar,' 'similarity,' and 'assimilate' — all descend from the same Latin stem.
Related word forms
How dissimilarity is actually used
Dissimilarity is a formal or academic word, common in scholarly, scientific, and analytical writing but rare in casual conversation. It often takes the preposition 'between' (the dissimilarity between X and Y) and can be followed by 'in' to specify the respect in which things differ. It carries a neutral connotation, though it can sound slightly technical where plainer words like 'difference' would do.
Easily confused with dissimilarity
Disparity emphasizes an inequality in degree, amount, or status, whereas dissimilarity simply notes that things are unlike in character.