impersonate
verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt 
impersonated; impersonating
: to assume or act the character of : personate
impersonating a police officer
Examples of impersonate in a Sentence
He was arrested for impersonating a police officer.
a comedian with a talent for impersonating famous politicians and actors
Recent Examples on the Web
The experience of being impersonated led de Blasio to reflect on the need for stronger action around the safety risks of emerging technology.
—
Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
Attackers often impersonate coworkers, banks, or even family members.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
For another, the Creature is played by Jacob Elordi, who, like most actors who have convincingly impersonated Elvis Presley, is not exactly the Boris Karloff of his day.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
The technology sold to Qualcomm was purportedly invented by Arabi’s sister, Sheida Alan, but prosecutors alleged Arabi was the true inventor and also impersonated his sister in communications related to the start-up company behind the technology — Abreezio.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
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Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
Attackers often impersonate coworkers, banks, or even family members.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
For another, the Creature is played by Jacob Elordi, who, like most actors who have convincingly impersonated Elvis Presley, is not exactly the Boris Karloff of his day.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
The technology sold to Qualcomm was purportedly invented by Arabi’s sister, Sheida Alan, but prosecutors alleged Arabi was the true inventor and also impersonated his sister in communications related to the start-up company behind the technology — Abreezio.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Cite this Entry
“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impersonate
verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpərs-ᵊn-ˌāt
impersonated; impersonating
: to pretend to be some other person
impersonate a police officer
impersonation
noun
-ˌpərs-ᵊn-ˈā-shən
impersonator
noun
-ˈpərs-ᵊn-ˌāt-ər
Legal Definition
impersonate
transitive verb
im·per·son·ate
im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt
impersonated; impersonating
: to assume (another's or a fictitious identity) without authority and with fraudulent intent
impersonate a police officer
impersonated a public servant by saying he was from the water department
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