imitation

American  

[im-i-tay-shuhn] / ˌɪm ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• imitations
  plural

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• imitations
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of imitation

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

---

Explanation

Imitation means copying the words, facial expressions, or actions of another person. Sometimes imitation is flattering, but often it's just annoying — like when your little brother does it to drive you crazy. Use the adjective imitation to describe an object that pretends to be something else. Imitation paintings can be so real looking that it's hard to tell the fake from the genuine article. Some imitations have hung unnoticed on museum walls for years, only being exposed through the use of modern technology. A common proverb is "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," although museum directors and people with obnoxious little brothers would probably disagree.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

imitation imitations

The company denied Sky’s voice was an imitation of Johansson, saying another professional actor used her own natural speaking voice for it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Even the brief imitation of Lennon’s “losing control” scream is laser-precise, meant to boost the song’s momentum and carry it through a cheery and lazy surf solo.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

In effect, imitation learning allows the team to capture the behavior of the more computationally demanding controller in a faster AI model that can operate quickly enough for real-time flight.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Doug Jamieson, of The Jam Report, external, awarded four stars and said Cregger "understands adaptation as translation rather than imitation".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

I slipped it quickly into my imitation jet bead evening bag and looked around.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

The government has also introduced "geographical indication" tags that help distinguish genuine Kashmiri carpets from cheap imitations.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Weizenbaum never released the software or its source code, but, based on a 1966 paper and other writings of his, people have created numerous imitations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

To put it plainly: Julian’s imitations lacked the vivacity that made his art unique, resulting in an uncanny dissonance between idea and result.

From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026

They cannot distinguish good data from bad and their imitations of human thoughts are imperfect.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026

The skits that Dad liked best were the imitations of him and Mother.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

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

---