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

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

She pitches her voice higher, widens her eyes, and lets the imitation convey her meaning.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Engineers at Northwestern University have created printed artificial neurons that go beyond imitation and can directly interact with real brain cells.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

There was a sandwich shop built in an ersatz Alamo and imitation of San Antonio’s Riverwalk with a Mexican restaurant that offered both classic and frozen margaritas.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

“You’ve seen that a lot of our competitors have strategies now that are slightly similar to what we do, and I think imitation is the highest form of flattery,” said Lake.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

I had to admit, it was a good imitation.

From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

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