imitate
[ im-i-teyt ]
/ ˈɪm ɪˌteɪt /
verb (used with object), im·i·tat·ed, im·i·tat·ing.
to follow or endeavor to follow as a model or example: to imitate an author's style; to imitate an older brother.
to mimic; impersonate: The students imitated the teacher behind her back.
to make a copy of; reproduce closely.
to have or assume the appearance of; simulate; resemble.
Origin of imitate
1525–35; < Latin
imitātus past participle of
imitārī to copy, presumably a frequentative akin to the base of
imāgō
image
SYNONYMS FOR imitate
3
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.
OTHER WORDS FROM imitate
Words nearby imitate
Example sentences from the Web for imitate
British Dictionary definitions for imitate
imitate
/ (ˈɪmɪˌteɪt) /
verb (tr)
to try to follow the manner, style, character, etc, of or take as a model
many writers imitated the language of Shakespeare
to pretend to be or to impersonate, esp for humour; mimic
to make a copy or reproduction of; duplicate; counterfeit
to make or be like; resemble or simulate
her achievements in politics imitated her earlier successes in business
Derived forms of imitate
imitable, adjective imitability or imitableness, noun imitator, nounWord Origin for imitate
C16: from Latin
imitārī; see
image