semblance
noun /ˈsembləns/
/ˈsembləns/
[singular, uncountable] (formal)- semblance of something a situation in which something seems to exist although this may not, in fact, be the case
- The ceasefire brought about a semblance of order.
- Life at last returned to some semblance of normality.
Extra Examples- She bared her teeth in a semblance of a smile.
- She struggled to bring a semblance of order to the meeting.
- The film lacks any semblance of realism.
- He dropped all semblance of dignity and rushed down the street after her.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- vague
- have
- lack
- gain
- …
- in a/the semblance of
- into a/the semblance of
- semblance of
- …
- a/some semblance of control
- a/some semblance of order
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French, from sembler ‘seem’, from Latin similare, simulare ‘simulate’.