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

Many of the shocked faces watching Cena’s loss on Saturday night were children, decked out in imitations of Cena’s classic look of armbands and jean shorts.

From Salon

On our trip, my mom and I made each other howl with laughter by doing imitations of each other.

From Los Angeles Times

AI-generated entertainment content ultimately fails to engage audiences authentically because viewers seek human creativity and connection, which AI cannot replicate beyond superficial imitation, suggesting the problem may self-correct through consumer indifference rather than intentional resistance.

From Los Angeles Times

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

In one of my friend’s first apartments after college she had an imitation Noguchi coffee table we called the Fauxguchi.

From Barron's

Related Words

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