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Maternal vs Identical - What's the difference?

maternal | identical |

As adjectives the difference between maternal and identical

is that maternal is of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother, motherly while identical is (not comparable) bearing full likeness by having precisely the same set of characteristics; indistinguishable.

As a noun identical is

(usually|pluralized|chiefly|philosophy) something which has exactly the same properties as something else.

maternal

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother, motherly.
    • His weakness seemed to bring out her maternal instincts.
  • Related through the mother, or her side of the family.
    • Toby is my maternal uncle.
  • (anatomy, medicine) Derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy.

    • Derived terms

    * maternal aunt * maternal cousin * maternal death * maternal grandfather * maternal grandmother * maternal uncle

    Antonyms

    * paternal – father

    Coordinate terms

    * avuncular – uncle * materteral – aunt * paternal – father

    identical

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (not comparable) Bearing full likeness by having precisely the same set of characteristics; indistinguishable.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1911, title=Encyclopædia Britannica, chapter=
    • , passage=By this means as many absolutely identical plates can be produced as may be required, and being hardened they will yield a very large number of prints without any appreciable deterioration.}}
  • *
  • *
  • (not comparable) Not different or other; not another or others; not different as regards self; selfsame; numerically identical.
  • *
  • *
  • * {{quote-book, year=1922, title=, by=W. C. Firebaugh, author=Petronius,
    • passage=Nor could I myself look upon this man without some emotion, for he seemed to be the identical  person who had picked up the ragged tunic in the lonely wood, and, as a matter of fact, he was!}}
  • (not comparable, biology) Of twins, sharing the same genetic code.
  • (not comparable, mathematics) Exactly equivalent.
  • (comparable, rare) Approximating or approaching exact equivalence.
  • * 1788 , , XLI:
    • The terms of Article 8th are still more identical .
    *

    Usage notes

    * (en-usage-equal) * Adverbs often used with "identical": absolutely, almost, nearly, practically, virtually, substantially.

    Synonyms

    * (bearing full likeness) same * (selfsame) same, selfsame

    Antonyms

    * non-identical * different * distinct

    Derived terms

    * identically * identicalness

    Related terms

    * identify * identity

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (usually, pluralized, chiefly, philosophy) Something which has exactly the same properties as something else.

    • Derived terms

    * indiscernibility of identicals

    References

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