unalike

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌʌnəˈlaɪk/ UK /ˌʌnəˈlaɪk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
not similar; different

The twins were strikingly unalike in temperament.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not similar; different different dissimilar distinct disparate divergent

Opposites

alike similar same identical

Word family

Related forms alike like likeness

Etymology

From un- ('not') + alike, the latter from Old English gelic ('similar'), from Proto-Germanic *galika- ('having the same form'), from *ga- (collective prefix) + *likan ('body, form').

un- Old English gelic Old English *galika- Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# unalike

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌʌnəˈlaɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌʌnəˈlaɪk/

## Meanings
1. not similar; different

## Examples
- The twins were strikingly unalike in temperament.

## Synonyms
- different
- dissimilar
- distinct
- disparate
- divergent

## Antonyms
- alike
- similar
- same
- identical

## Related Forms
- alike
- like
- likeness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: gelic
- Root: *galika-

## Etymology
From un- ('not') + alike, the latter from Old English gelic ('similar'), from Proto-Germanic *galika- ('having the same form'), from *ga- (collective prefix) + *likan ('body, form').

## AI Etymology
Unalike comes from un- ('not') + alike, the latter from Old English gelic ('similar'), from Proto-Germanic *galika- ('having the same form'), from *ga- (collective prefix) + *likan ('body, form'). The historical chain includes Old English un-, Old English gelic, and Proto-Germanic *galika-. The quoted older senses, "not", "similar", "having the same form", and "body, form", supply the semantic anchors for unalike. The formation is best read as prefixal, compound, and borrowed: the word unalike carries its older form-history into a compact English lexical shape. In present English it is used as a adj, "not similar; different". Related English forms include alike, like, and likeness. The result is a adj whose etymology preserves both the older form and the later English specialization.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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