A replica is a copy made to look just like something that already exists, especially a building, a gun, or a work of art. A museum may show a replica when the real thing is too old, too far away, or too precious to touch. A replica gun is made to look like a real one; it may not fire, or may not fire real bullets. Though actually, “exact copy” is tidier than life. Some replicas are very close; some are only close enough, and people still call them replicas. A replica is usually honest that it is a copy. That is different from a fake sold as the original. People also buy replica shirts and replica watches; younger shoppers use it for “looks like the famous one.” It is a stretch to call a photocopy or a casual drawing a replica — we keep the word for an object made to stand in for a real original.