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imposture

[ im-pos-cher ]
/ ɪmˈpɒs tʃər /
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SEE MORE 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.

RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

  1. impost,
  2. impost block,
  3. impostor,
  4. impostor syndrome,
  5. impostume,
  6. imposure,
  7. impotence,
  8. impotent,
  9. impound,
  10. impoundment

Origin of imposture

1530–40; < Late Latin impostūra, equivalent to Latin impost(us) past participle of impōnere (see impostor, impone) + -ūra -ure
Related formsim·pos·trous [im-pos-truhs] /ɪmˈpɒs trəs/, im·pos·tur·ous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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 Formsimpostrous (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

Word Origin and History for imposture

imposture

n.

"act of willfully deceiving others," 1530s, from Middle French imposture, from Late Latin impostura, from impostus (see impost).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper