1
as in imitation
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
your writing style tends to be imitative of whichever author you've recently read
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
an imitative extract never has the flavor of the real thing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitative
Third-party imitative learning from an immigrating parrot’s flockmates may facilitate overall group integration and social bonding and may even give rise to cultural conventions of coordinated movements or gestures.
—
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In Roeck’s picture, competitive, rather than imitative, habits of mind rose from religious warfare, establishing a cutthroat system of cultural and economic innovation which lasts to this day.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Nautilus is bold in its changes to Captain Nemo’s story — new monsters, new villains — but imitative to other genre series in execution, and the vibe is a little didactic.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
The results suggested that felines may have imitative skills and the ability to recognize behavioral similarities.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitative
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In Roeck’s picture, competitive, rather than imitative, habits of mind rose from religious warfare, establishing a cutthroat system of cultural and economic innovation which lasts to this day.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Nautilus is bold in its changes to Captain Nemo’s story — new monsters, new villains — but imitative to other genre series in execution, and the vibe is a little didactic.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
The results suggested that felines may have imitative skills and the ability to recognize behavioral similarities.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitative
Adjective
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Cotton Incorporated’s market research found that, while consumer concern is high, a notable gap exists in understanding the direct link between laundry, synthetic clothing and microplastic shedding.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
16 Oct. 2025
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Kennedy has pressured companies to stop using synthetic food dyes, prompting red states to pass food-dye regulations of their own.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This recycling of historical materials, multiplied by the dozens of characters developed in Bomarzo, produces a mimetic effect.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
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To get robotic collectives closer to Terminator’s mimetic polyalloy, the team wants to make the robots smaller.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Available in 12 faux hair and thong color variations with straight and curly textures, the thongs are currently sold out on the Skims website.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
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Lifestride Wanderer Slip-On Sneakers An everyday pair of sneakers should be convenient and comfortable, and the slip-on style and faux laces make the shoes easy to put on and take off in seconds.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Whether that stemmed more from the lack of roster depth or from Malone’s formulaic rotations is up for debate.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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Critics might say: If consumers can’t tell the real from the robotic, why is AI any worse than the heap of creatively threadbare and formulaic stuff made by humans?—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The bilateral drills in the Arabian Sea come after China, which has developed advanced weapons designed to sink enemy ships ships, deployed aircraft to conduct simulated missile attacks on a British warship off the country's coastline last month.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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Link’s flight simulators supercharging our pilot training with adaptive decision-making under pressure; medical residents refining teamwork and communication in simulated trauma bays; managers learning leadership through live project crises with shifting constraints and incomplete information.—
Joe Boylan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The program for career day will feature panels, mock interviews and networking opportunities.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
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Looking ahead, the researchers plan to conduct more complex experiments using mock debris with different shapes and compositions.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The less light pollution, the better; a shower like this one that's rich in faint meteors is especially hard hit by artificial skyglow.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Engineers are experimenting with artificial gravity, such as spinning spacecraft to generate centrifugal force.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The transparent glass shapes create elegant light paths when your tree is lit, while the opaque white designs mimic paper lanterns.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
21 Oct. 2025
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To give big box retailers a price-friendly option, the firm presented 100 percent cotton fabrics that mimic linen’s slub pattern.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Oct. 2025
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Imitative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitative. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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