im·i·ta·tion
ˌi-mə-ˈtā-shən 
1
: an act or instance of imitating
2
: something produced as a copy : counterfeit
3
: a literary work designed to reproduce the style of another author
4
: the repetition by one voice of a melody, phrase, or motive stated earlier in the composition by a different voice
5
: the quality of an object in possessing some of the nature or attributes of a transcendent idea
6
: the assumption of behavior observed in other individuals
: resembling something else that is usually genuine and of better quality : not real
imitation leather
Examples of imitation in a Sentence
Noun
Children learn by imitation of adults.
The restaurant was designed in imitation of a Japanese temple.
He did a hilarious imitation of his father.
The real diamonds are in a museum. These are just imitations.
Adjective
the stage production uses only imitation diamonds, as real gems would be prohibitively expensive
Recent Examples on the Web
Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
People can learn what's acceptable and what's not through observation and imitation, and talking about other people's experiences can act as a warning sign for ourselves.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
From there, the fledgling company’s legend exploded, sparking rapid business expansion before an inevitable spree of ripoffs and imitations emerged to challenge the nascent venture.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Building artificial skin with room to grow The researchers initially sought to create a skin imitation that could accurately mimic the three layers in human skin: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitation
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Noun
These ivory pieces, showing signs of intentional modification, may represent the earliest evidence of deliberate ivory processing, possibly crafted by children as imitations of tools.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
People can learn what's acceptable and what's not through observation and imitation, and talking about other people's experiences can act as a warning sign for ourselves.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
From there, the fledgling company’s legend exploded, sparking rapid business expansion before an inevitable spree of ripoffs and imitations emerged to challenge the nascent venture.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Building artificial skin with room to grow The researchers initially sought to create a skin imitation that could accurately mimic the three layers in human skin: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitation
Cite this Entry
“Imitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imitation. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
imitation
1 of 2 noun
im·i·ta·tion
ˌim-ə-ˈtā-shən
1
: an act of imitating
2
: something produced as a copy
imitation
2 of 2 adjective
: resembling something else especially of better quality
imitation pearls
imitation leather
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