imposture

[ im-pos-cher ]
/ ɪmˈpɒs tʃər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR imposture ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the action or practice of imposing fraudulently upon others.
deception using an assumed character, identity, or name, as by an impostor.
an instance or piece of fraudulent imposition.

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Origin of imposture

1530–40; < Late Latin impostūra, equivalent to Latin impost(us) past participle of impōnere (see impostor, impone) + -ūra -ure

OTHER WORDS FROM imposture

im·pos·trous [im-pos-truhs] /ɪmˈpɒs trəs/, im·pos·tur·ous, adjective

Words nearby imposture

impost, impost block, impostor, impostor syndrome, impostume, imposture, imposure, impotence, impotent, impound, impoundment
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to imposture

stratagem, cheat, sleight, artifice, hoax, pretension, imitation, fake, wile, sell, impersonation, deception, imposition, ploy, forgery, quackery, counterfeit, illusion, sham, maneuver

Example sentences from the Web for imposture

British Dictionary definitions for imposture

imposture
/ (ɪmˈpɒstʃə) /

noun

the act or an instance of deceiving others, esp by assuming a false identity

Derived forms of imposture

impostrous (ɪmˈpɒstrəs), impostorous (ɪmˈpɒstərəs) or imposturous, adjective

Word Origin for imposture

C16: from French, from Late Latin impostūra, from Latin impōnere; see impose
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