personate
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to act or portray (a character in a play, a part, etc.).
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to assume the character or appearance of; pass oneself off as, especially with fraudulent intent; impersonate.
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to represent in terms of personal properties or characteristics; personify.
verb (used without object)
adjective
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Botany.
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(of a bilabiate corolla) masklike.
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having the lower lip pushed upward so as to close the gap between the lips, as in the snapdragon.
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Zoology.
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having a masked or disguised form, as the larvae of certain insects.
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having masklike markings.
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verb
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to act the part of (a character in a play); portray
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a less common word for personify
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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
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personatesimple
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personatessimple
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have personatedperfect
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has personatedperfect
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am personatingprogressive
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are personatingprogressive
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is personatingprogressive
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have been personatingperfect progressive
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has been personatingperfect progressive
Past
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personatedsimple
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had personatedperfect
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was personatingprogressive
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were personatingprogressive
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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.
See Examples For:
By his counsel the god celebrated a sham marriage with a wooden image, dressed up to personate Plataea, daughter of Asopus.
From Myth, Ritual And Religion, Vol. 2 (of 2) by Lang, Andrew
But to imagine he could personate the brave St. Udo!
From Faithful Margaret A Novel by Ashmore, Annie
Two children are chosen for these dignitaries, while the others call out the names of such flowers, fruits, or vegetables as each may decide to personate.
From Spanish Highways and Byways by Bates, Katharine Lee
An indescribable fear overpowered the countess--but it now seemed to her as if she did not dread the man whom she expected to see, but Him he was to personate.
From On the Cross A Romance of the Passion Play at Oberammergau by Hillern, Wilhelmine von
He was, besides, a ventriloquist, and could thus personate and imitate any character or any voice he chose.
From Auricular Confession and Popish Nunneries Volumes I. and II., Complete by Hogan, William
“Everett Quinton personates the oinker as a most sympathetic fellow,” Don Nelsen wrote in a review in The Daily News.
From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2023
In this case the hen and chickens make a procession in front of a player who personates an old weeping woman.
From What Shall We Do Now?: Five Hundred Games and Pastimes by Fisher, Dorothy Canfield
The gentleman who personates Prince Albert should, in general outline of features and form, resemble the original as much as possible.
From Home Pastimes; or Tableaux Vivants by Head, James H.
For aught I know he still roams the Adirondack forest, and maybe personates the ghostly and ghastly white deer of song and legend.
From The Wit of Women Fourth Edition by Sanborn, Kate
The parasite then personates the captain’s servant, and, by means of the credentials of which he had possessed himself, obtains the damsel Filesia, whom he carries to her lover.
From History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume I by Dunlop, John
The real Garlinghouse reported this to Instagram, which took a look ... and then 72 hours later, informed him that after investigating the company had determined that he was not actually being personated.
From The Verge ● Apr. 22, 2020
Dr. Trefusis personated a violinist, sawing upon the air.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
He had already personated the Countess Trifaldi very successfully; and, with his master's instructions in relation to his behaviour towards Sancho, could not but discharge his trust to a wonder.
From The History of Don Quixote de la Mancha by Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
With him it was easy to deal, poor wretch! but the clever rogues who had employed him and personated the members of the honourable firm of Bluestone & Fagg were never traced.
From Uncanny Tales by Molesworth, Mrs. Mary Louisa
When the religious dramas, called Mysteries, came into vogue, this martyrdom was represented on the stage at Melun, and the character of the saint was personated by one Languille.
From Notes and Queries, Vol. IV, Number 89, July 12, 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Geneologists, etc. by Various
There he had a long talk with a fellow who seemed to be personating a bricklayer.
From Dangerous Ground or, The Rival Detectives by Lynch, Lawrence L.
I tried to interpret for myself, within certain well-defined limits, according to my personal conception of the characters I was personating.
From Memoirs of an American Prima Donna by Kellogg, Clara Louise
At last the door is opened, when in bounces the merry crowd, among them the Mary Lwyd, borne by one personating a horse, who is led by another personating the groom.
From British Goblins Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Sikes, Wirt
Which, if I mistake not, is the streatest Curse can fall on you——Well, you must suffer a small Metamorphosis: What think you of personating me a little?
From The Perjur'd Husband by Centlivre, Susanna
If they have once taken a degree themselves, they can only carry on this trade by assuming the name of some candidate, to whom a fee must be paid for the privilege of personating him.
From Village Life in China A Study in Sociology by Smith, Arthur H.
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.
