im·i·ta·tion
ˌi-mə-ˈtā-shən 
1
: an act or instance of imitating
Children learn by imitation of adults.
He did a hilarious imitation of his father.
2
: something produced as a copy : counterfeit
a cheap/poor imitation
an imitation of mid-century architecture
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
philosophy
: the quality of an object in possessing some of the nature or attributes of a transcendent idea
6
psychology
: the conscious or unconscious 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
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
The organizations recognized are providing real-world solutions able to foster both implementation and imitation in the areas of construction and design, policy and finance.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Experience has taught me that too much imitation can paralyze you.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Most people now encounter the world through algorithmic feeds built to warp reality, on platforms with every commercial incentive to keep users scrolling and very little incentive to distinguish genuine interest from astroturfed imitations.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for imitation
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Noun
According to the team, the result positions Argus as an early demonstration of a wider class of robots built not around biological imitation, but around a fundamental principle of balanced, direction-agnostic performance.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
The organizations recognized are providing real-world solutions able to foster both implementation and imitation in the areas of construction and design, policy and finance.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Experience has taught me that too much imitation can paralyze you.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Most people now encounter the world through algorithmic feeds built to warp reality, on platforms with every commercial incentive to keep users scrolling and very little incentive to distinguish genuine interest from astroturfed imitations.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for imitation
Cite this Entry
“Imitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imitation. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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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Merriam-Webster unabridged
