Identical To: Standard Pattern
Identical To: Standard Pattern combines dictionary and grammar evidence for the directly documented identical-to construction without forcing an unsupported identical-with comparison page.
Cambridge documents “identical to” when two things are exactly the same or effectively the same for the comparison being made.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| two things are exactly the same or treated as the same in the comparison | identical to + noun/pronoun | Use “identical to.” |
| no complement is needed | identical | The adjective can stand alone when the comparison is already clear. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does the sentence explicitly name the thing being compared after “identical”?
If yes: Use “identical to.”
If no: Use bare “identical” when no complement is needed.
Caveat: This page documents the “identical to” complement pattern; it does not imply that “identical” always needs a following complement.
Examples
This copy is identical to the original.
“To” introduces the comparison target.
The two signatures appeared identical.
No complement is needed because both compared items are already named.
Her result was identical to mine.
The pronoun after “to” names the comparison target.
Further guidance
Construction
Cambridge Grammar explicitly gives the pattern identical to.
Style Boundary
Identical can also stand without a complement; this guide covers the to-complement pattern.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- identical — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge dictionary evidence for identical to as a documented comparison pattern.
- Same, similar, identical — Cambridge Dictionary Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge Grammar evidence that similar and identical use the patterns similar to and identical to.