literally the same as

USAGE SUMMARY

"literally the same as" is correct and usable in written English.
It is often used to emphasize strong similarities between two things. For example: "The restaurant's crispy calamari is literally the same as the fried squid my grandmother used to make."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Dot Learn was almost literally the same as 'Silicon Valley's PiedPiper.

TechCrunch

But it is clear that it was known before and in his 1925 article [1] Hardy informed that Pólya had pointed out the fact that (4.3) is in fact a limit inequality (as p → ∞) of the inequality (1.1) for p > 1 and the proof is literally the same as that above that (4.1) implies (4.2).

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

It's literally the same technology as used in Chrome OS".

The Guardian - Tech

Maimon Kirschenbaum, one of the lawyers who brought the case in New York, said, "We're making literally the same pitch as was made in the California case, that Starbucks let the shift supervisors partake in the tip jar".

The New York Times

Of course, they just told Kris he shouldn't have changed the arrangement of the Henley song and now she does literally the same arrangement as Turner and they say that's wrong too.

Huffington Post

SiGierp for toldbest of VICE, delivered to your inbox daily.

Vice

They now accept literally when used the same as "figuratively"... to express extreme emphasis.

The Guardian - Sport

Making your digital objects literally look exactly the same as physical objects that users already know how to use is a good idea when the entire experience is alien to a user.

TechCrunch

Idling, the Revolt hits literally the same decibel level as a quiet whisper, but under full load -- in this case looping the Heaven benchmark for two hours -- it gets noisier than the original Xbox 360.

Forbes

"Our goal is to have literally the same product on Azure as on Amazon, and we are very confident we'll get there with Microsoft," he said.

TechCrunch

What is common to all ideas is that indirect assertions are not explicit: what is expressed, or literally said, is not the same as what is asserted.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "literally the same as" to emphasize a strong and direct similarity. Ensure that the context supports the literal interpretation to avoid miscommunication.

Common error

Avoid using "literally the same as" merely for emphasis when there isn't a genuine equivalence. Overuse can dilute the word's impact and make your writing seem less precise.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "literally the same as" functions as an intensifying comparative phrase. It's used to emphasize that two things are not just similar, but identical, in every meaningful way. As seen in Ludwig, the phrase often clarifies comparisons across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "literally the same as" is used to emphasize that two things are exactly identical. Ludwig AI confirms it's grammatically correct. While overuse of "literally" in a non-literal sense is a common pitfall, this specific phrase is generally used appropriately to convey a strong sense of equivalence. It appears in varied contexts, including News & Media and Science, suggesting a neutral register. When using this phrase, ensure the context supports a literal interpretation to maintain clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

virtually identical to

Implies that the items are so similar that any differences are negligible.

indistinguishable from

Suggests that it's impossible to tell the difference between the items.

exactly equivalent to

Highlights that the items share the same value or function.

precisely analogous to

Emphasizes a direct comparison where similarities in detail are evident.

effectively identical to

Indicates a sameness in effect or outcome, even if the components are different.

completely akin to

Suggests that two things are fundamentally alike in nature or quality.

a carbon copy of

Highlights exact replication, where one thing is a direct duplicate of another.

mirror image of

Refers to a reverse duplicate where elements are inverted but essentially the same.

the spitting image of

An informal way to suggest two entities closely resemble one another, often used for people.

duplicate of

Indicates that one thing is an exact copy or replica of the other.

FAQs

How can I use "literally the same as" in a sentence?

You can use "literally the same as" to emphasize that two things are, in fact, identical. For example, "The recipe is "literally the same as" the one my grandmother used."

What are some alternatives to saying "literally the same as"?

Alternatives include "virtually identical to", "indistinguishable from", or "exactly equivalent to", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to use "literally" when there's no real literal similarity?

While some modern dictionaries acknowledge the use of "literally" for emphasis, it's generally best to avoid using it in this way if you want to maintain clarity. Choose a more accurate adverb instead.

What's the difference between "literally the same as" and "practically the same as"?

"Literally the same as" implies exact equivalence. "Practically the same as" suggests the items are so similar that any differences are insignificant for a given purpose.