Can “resemblance” be used interchangeably with “semblance” in the idiomatic context of a comparison to a former self

idiomssynonymsword-usage

For example,

After the war, Dresden retained little [re]semblance of its former self.

Although he'd quit drinking, his lifestyle continued in some [re]semblance of its former self.

I came across "resemblance" used this way and it sounded odd to me.

Best Answer

At their core, the terms resemblance and semblance do not really belong to the same cluster of synonyms.

Semblance is almost invariably used to contrast appearance with reality: a doubtful assertion that has the semblance of truth; an enemy who cloaks threats with the semblance of civility. It may, however, be used to mean outward appearance without any suggestion of falseness: The faceless person in her dreams began to acquire the semblance of her dead brother.

Resemble is closely related to compare. Its stress, however, is on a closer likeness, indicating that one thing compares in a number of ways to something else. Also, resemble carries a stronger visual suggestion than compare: children who resemble their mother; a child who resembled someone I used to know; an argument that resembles an earlier but now discredited theory.

[Source - Choose the Right Word]

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