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View synonyms for

imitate

[ im-i-teyt ]

verb (used with object)

imitated, imitating.
  1. to follow or endeavor to follow as a model or example:

    to imitate an author's style; to imitate an older brother.

  2. to mimic; impersonate:

    The students imitated the teacher behind her back.

    Synonyms: ,

  3. to make a copy of; reproduce closely.
  4. to have or assume the appearance of; simulate; resemble.


imitate

/ ˈɪɪˌٱɪ /

verb

  1. to try to follow the manner, style, character, etc, of or take as a model

    many writers imitated the language of Shakespeare

  2. to pretend to be or to impersonate, esp for humour; mimic
  3. to make a copy or reproduction of; duplicate; counterfeit
  4. to make or be like; resemble or simulate

    her achievements in politics imitated her earlier successes in business

“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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Derived Forms

  • ˌٲˈٲ, noun
  • ˈˌٲٴǰ, noun
  • ˈٲ, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • i·ٲtǰ noun
  • ԴDz·i·ٲiԲ adjective
  • v·i·ٲٱ verb (used with object) overimitated overimitating
  • ·i·ٲٱ verb (used with object) preimitated preimitating
  • ܲ·i·ٲe adjective
  • ܲ·i·ٲiԲ adjective
  • ɱ-i·ٲe adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of imitate1

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin ٳܲ, past participle of ī “to copy,” presumably a frequentative akin to the base of 岵ō image
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Word History and Origins

Origin of imitate1

C16: from Latin ī; see image
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Synonym Study

Imitate, copy, duplicate, reproduce all mean to follow or try to follow an example or pattern. Imitate is the general word for the idea: to imitate someone's handwriting, behavior. To copy is to make a fairly exact imitation of an original creation: to copy a sentence, a dress, a picture. To duplicate is to produce something that exactly resembles or corresponds to something else; both may be originals: to duplicate the terms of two contracts. To reproduce is to make a likeness or reconstruction of an original: to reproduce a 16th-century theater.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Some of the accounts follow the same format in every video, using AI avatars to imitate different murder victims from across the world.

From

In some towns devotees are even nailed to the cross at Easter to imitate the suffering of Jesus.

From

"No man avenged has ever risen from the grave" is the haunting tagline of a film that has shocked Somalis to the core in a case of life imitating art.

From

Mr Burns alleged that Mr Khan used his fingers to imitate a gun and went "pop pop" in this video.

From

“Ever since last year when I got the opportunity to pitch, I was trying to imitate my teammates that I play behind,” Rojas said.

From

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