imitative

adjective

im·​i·​ta·​tive ˈi-mə-ˌtā-tiv 

 especially British  -tə-tiv

1

a

: marked by imitation

Acting is an imitative art.

b

: reproducing or representing a natural sound : onomatopoeic

"Hiss" is an imitative word.

c

: exhibiting mimicry

2

: inclined to imitate

Humans are imitative beings.

3

: imitating something superior : counterfeit

imitative gemstones

imitatively adverb

imitativeness noun

Synonyms of imitative

• imitation
• emulative
• mimetic
• copied
• formulaic
• mock
• mimic
• unoriginal

Examples of imitative in a Sentence

The architecture is imitative of a Japanese temple.

your writing style tends to be imitative of whichever author you've recently read

Recent Examples on the Web

It may be borrowed or coined, named after a person, inspired by a place or imitative of a sound. —Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025

Conversations in dorm rooms and lecture halls consist of roughly 97% university-loathing and imitative protests to fire coaches and athletic directors. —Noah White, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin imitātīvus, from Latin imitātus, past participle of imitārī "to follow as a pattern, imitate" + -īvus -ive

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for imitative

• allocative
• appellative
• commutative
• connotative
• copulative
• degradative
• dissipative
• educative
• exudative
• facultative
• infiltrative
• innovative

Video

A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

Some imitative words are more surprising than others

Kids Definition

imitative

adjective

im·​i·​ta·​tive ˈim-ə-ˌtāt-iv 

1

: involving imitation

2

: given to imitating

3

: imitating something better

imitatively adverb