The word 貌似 is formed by combining two characters: 貌 (mào), which means "appearance" or "outward look", and 似 (sì), which means "to resemble" or "to be similar". The term literally fuses the concept of an outward semblance with the act of likening or comparing. It creates a single concept that captures the act of judging something based on its superficial likeness to something else, thereby conveying the meaning of "to seemingly be" or "to have the appearance of", where the visible form suggests a probable, but not certain, reality.