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impersonate

[ verb im-pur-suh-neyt; adjective im-pur-suh-nit ]
/ verb ɪmˈpɜr səˌneɪt; adjective ɪmˈpɜr sə nɪt /
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See synonyms for: impersonate / impersonation on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), im·per·son·at·ed, im·per·son·at·ing.
to assume the character or appearance of; pretend to be: He was arrested for impersonating a police officer.
to mimic the voice, mannerisms, etc., of (a person) in order to entertain.
to act or play the part of; personate.
Archaic. to represent in personal or bodily form; personify; typify.
adjective Archaic or Literary.
embodied in a person; invested with personality.
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Origin of impersonate

First recorded in 1615–25; im-1 + person + -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM impersonate

im·per·son·a·tion [im-pur-suh-ney-shuhn], /ɪmˌpɜr səˈneɪ ʃən/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use impersonate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for impersonate

impersonate
/ (ɪmˈpɜːsəˌneɪt) /

verb (tr)
to pretend to be (another person)
to imitate the character, mannerisms, etc, of (another person)
rare to play the part or character of
an archaic word for personify

Derived forms of impersonate

impersonation, nounimpersonator, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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