imitation

American  

[im-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌɪm ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a result or product of imitating.

2. the act of imitating.

3. a counterfeit; copy.

4. a literary composition that imitates the manner or subject of another author or work.

5. Biology. mimicry.

6. Psychology. the performance of an act whose stimulus is the observation of the act performed by another person.

7. Sociology. the copying of patterns of activity and thought of other groups or individuals.

8. Art.

   1. (in Aristotelian aesthetics) the representation of an object or an action as it ought to be.

   2. the representation of actuality in art or literature.

9. Music. the repetition of a melodic phrase at a different pitch or key from the original or in a different voice part.

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adjective

1. designed to imitate a genuine or superior article or thing.

   imitation leather.

2. Jewelry. noting an artificial gem no part of which is of the true gemstone.

imitation British  

/ ˌɪmɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, practice, or art of imitating; mimicry

2. an instance or product of imitating, such as a copy of the manner of a person; impression

3. 1. a copy or reproduction of a genuine article; counterfeit

   2. ( as modifier )

      imitation jewellery

4. (in contrapuntal or polyphonic music) the repetition of a phrase or figure in one part after its appearance in another, as in a fugue

5. a literary composition that adapts the style of an older work to the writer's own purposes

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Other Word Forms

• imitational adjective
• nonimitational adjective
• overimitation noun
• preimitation noun
• self-imitation noun

Etymology

Origin of imitation

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin imitātiōn- (stem of imitātiō ). See imitate, -ion

Example Sentences

Brandon Fellows, who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, had traveled to the conference to sell imitation Immigration and Customs Enforcement uniforms as costumes.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

OpenAI removed the voice, but insisted that it was not meant to be an "imitation" of the Avengers star.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

It shifted from the good-quality excess products of local brands — which were then sold at bargain prices — to imitation or cheap goods often imported from abroad.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

It was a social phenomenon shaped by imitation, ideology and institutional reinforcement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

I do my imitation of the dance routine from TV and finish with the finale: Are you ready, boots?

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• clone
• impersonation
• impression
• mimicry
• parody
• reflection
• replica
• reproduction