What does dissimilitude mean?
Dissimilitude refers to the condition of being unlike something else — an absence of similarity or resemblance. It functions as a formal, abstract noun, typically appearing in literary, philosophical, or scholarly prose where a writer wishes to emphasise contrast with deliberate weight: one might speak of the dissimilitude between two theological traditions, two artistic styles, or two accounts of the same event. The word derives from Latin roots meaning 'to differ from a likeness', combining the negative prefix dis- with similitudo ('likeness'), making it essentially the antonym of similitude. Although it has been part of English since the early seventeenth century and appears in writers such as Milton, it never entered everyday vocabulary, and today it reads as distinctly bookish. For most purposes, words like difference, disparity, or unlikeness serve better, but dissimilitude survives as a precise, resonant choice when a writer wants to stress profound or structural unlikeness rather than mere variation.
nounDissimilitude is the state or quality of being unlike or different; a lack of similarity or resemblance between two or more things.
- The state or quality of being unlike; absence of similarity or resemblance.
- (Rare, chiefly archaic) A specific point of difference or instance of unlikeness.
"The dissimilitude between the twin sisters' personalities was striking despite their identical appearance."
"Despite growing up under the same roof, the dissimilitude in their political views eventually strained their friendship."
"The essay dwells on the dissimilitudes between medieval and Renaissance conceptions of kingship."
The plural is rare and used chiefly when referring to multiple distinct points of unlikeness; the uncountable singular is far more common.
"The comparative study catalogued the many dissimilitudes between the two manuscripts."
Before 'difference' became everyone's go-to word, English speakers reached for 'dissimilitude' — a Latinate heavyweight that Milton himself deployed to describe how things fail to match.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dissimilitude
Dissimilitude entered English in the early seventeenth century, borrowed from Latin dissimilitudo, meaning unlikeness or difference. The Latin term joins the prefix dis- (expressing negation) with similitudo, itself derived from similis ('like, resembling'), the same root that gives English similar, simulate, and simile. Its earliest notable use in English literature is often credited to John Milton, who employed it in his polemical writings.
How dissimilitude is actually used
Dissimilitude is a formal, literary word, now relatively rare and largely confined to academic, theological, or elevated prose. It is most at home in writing that contrasts ideas, doctrines, or texts rather than everyday objects. In ordinary modern speech, 'difference' or 'disparity' is almost always preferred.
Easily confused with dissimilitude
Dissimilation is a linguistic process in which similar sounds in a word become less alike, whereas dissimilitude simply denotes a state of unlikeness or difference.