imitation

[im-i-tey-shuhn]

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.

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

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of imitation¹

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

Example Sentences

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

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But 25 years later, another murder in Edgar Mills—in apparent imitation of the Janitor—prompts the town’s current police chief to ask for the former detectives’ help.

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Unsurprisingly, given Susan’s bluntness and profanity—Mr. Coen almost seems to be writing in imitation of David Mamet, but with the women as the foul-mouthed aggressors—the evening doesn’t end with a gauzy clinch.

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“Our focus is solely on protecting the unique trademarked design that represents the high quality associated with the Uncrustables brand and preventing consumer confusion caused by imitation.”

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The effort is experiencing growing pains, mostly due to its initial imitation of university research, but it shows promise.

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Related Words

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