Imitate

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Imitate

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

verb

Pronunciation

IM-ih-tayt  /ˈɪmɪteɪt/

Definition

To take or follow as a model or example; to copy the behaviour, appearance, or sound of someone or something; to produce a copy or likeness of; to simulate.

Plain meaning

To imitate someone means to copy them — how they talk, how they move, or what they do. Children imitate their parents. Comedians imitate politicians. A parrot imitates human speech. The word can mean flattering admiration (imitation as the sincerest form of flattery) or unflattering mockery (doing an impression of someone). In computing, software can imitate hardware.

Register

Neutral. Imitate is used across all registers. Imitation and imitate can be positive (a student imitating a great writer's style) or negative (someone imitating another's voice in mockery). The idiom imitation is the sincerest form of flattery is attributed to Oscar Wilde's reformulation of an older proverb.