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Universal vs Similar - What's the difference?

universal | similar |

As adjectives the difference between universal and similar

is that universal is of or pertaining to the universe while similar is having traits or characteristics in common; alike, comparable.

As nouns the difference between universal and similar

is that universal is (philosophy) a characteristic or property that particular things have in common while similar is that which is similar to, or resembles, something else, as in quality, form, etc.

universal

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or pertaining to the universe.
  • Common to all members of a group or class.
  • *
  • *
  • Common to all society; world-wide
  • She achieved universal fame.
  • Cosmic; unlimited; vast; infinite
  • Useful for many purposes, e.g., universal wrench .
  • Derived terms

    * universalise, universalize * universal quantifier

    Antonyms

    * nonuniversal

    See also

    * (wikipedia "universal") * general * global

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (philosophy) A characteristic or property that particular things have in common.
  • *
  • * {{quote-book, year=1970, title=Speech acts, author=John R. Searle
  • , passage=We might also distinguish those expressions which are used to refer to individuals or particulars from those which are used to refer to what philosophers have called universals : e.g., to distinguish such expressions as "Everest" and "this chair" from "the number three", "the color red" and "drunkenness". citation

    See also

    * particular

    similar

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having traits or characteristics in common; alike, comparable.
  • *
  • *:So this was my future home, I thought! Certainly it made a brave picture. I had seen similar ones fired-in on many a Heidelberg stein. Backed by towering hills,a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Charles T. Ambrose
  • , title= Alzheimer’s Disease , volume=101, issue=3, page=200, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.}}
  • (mathematics) Of geometrical figures including triangles, squares, ellipses, arcs and more complex figures, having the same shape but possibly different size, rotational orientation, and position; in particular, having corresponding angles equal and corresponding line segments proportional; such that one can be had from the other using a sequence of operations of rotation, translation and scaling.
  • Synonyms

    * (with common characteristics) akin, alike, comparable, identical, same, twin

    Antonyms

    * (alike) different, unlike

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which is similar to, or resembles, something else, as in quality, form, etc.
  • (homeopathy) A material that produces an effect that resembles the symptoms of a particular disease