personate
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to act or portray (a character in a play, a part, etc.).
-
to assume the character or appearance of; pass oneself off as, especially with fraudulent intent; impersonate.
-
to represent in terms of personal properties or characteristics; personify.
verb (used without object)
adjective
-
Botany.
-
(of a bilabiate corolla) masklike.
-
having the lower lip pushed upward so as to close the gap between the lips, as in the snapdragon.
-
-
Zoology.
-
having a masked or disguised form, as the larvae of certain insects.
-
having masklike markings.
-
verb
-
to act the part of (a character in a play); portray
-
a less common word for personify
-
criminal law to assume the identity of (another person) with intent to deceive
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
personatesimple
-
personatessimple
-
have personatedperfect
-
has personatedperfect
-
am personatingprogressive
-
are personatingprogressive
-
is personatingprogressive
-
have been personatingperfect progressive
-
has been personatingperfect progressive
Past
-
personatedsimple
-
had personatedperfect
-
was personatingprogressive
-
were personatingprogressive
-
had been personatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of personate1
First recorded in 1590–1600; verb use of Latin persōnātus “wearing a mask, masked”; see origin at person ( def. )
Origin of personate2
First recorded in 1750–60; from New Latin, Latin; persōnātus “masked”; see origin at persona, -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His own affection for Hallam seems to personate the object of his attachment, and “sees himself in all he sees.”
From A Key to Lord Tennyson's 'In Memoriam' by Gatty, Alfred, Mrs.
They did not always personate the same characters.
From Capturing a Locomotive A History of Secrect Service in the Late War. by Pittenger, William
I forgot myself, and told her that Johnny had hired a man to personate a parson, and that she was not married at all.
From Out of a Labyrinth by Lynch, Lawrence L.
The cast of parts has unluckily not been preserved, but it is sufficient for us to know that the lower boys were put into requisition to personate the mutes.
The two captives personate each other, and induce Hegio to send home Philocrates, who was a wealthy noble, and keep only the born slave.
From The Brothers' War by Reed, John Calvin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
