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Indistinguishable vs. identical: what’s the difference?

The short answer

Indistinguishable means not able to be identified as different, but may not be exactly the same; identical means exactly the same in every detail.

What they have in common

Both words imply that there is no detectable difference between two or more items.

Examples

indistinguishable

  • The twins were indistinguishable to most people.
  • The fake painting was indistinguishable from the original at first glance.

identical

  • The two statements are identical in meaning.
  • She wore an identical dress to the one she had last year.

Which one is more common?

Internet search results for “indistinguishable” and “identical”

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