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 second is listed only as a school district employee in the affidavit, who Knowles allegedly impersonated during an exam at Florida Atlantic University in August 2024.
—
Angie Dimichele,
Sun Sentinel,
27 June 2026
If public-key cryptography becomes breakable, attackers can impersonate services, weaken the handshakes that set up secure sessions and forge signatures that make malicious code look legitimate.
—
Kumar Mehta,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Jason Hobby was arrested by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office following the July 29, 2024 fire and charged with first-degree arson, along with several other offenses including impersonating a peace officer, menacing and false imprisonment.
—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Scammers may use personal information to impersonate companies or officials.
—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
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Angie Dimichele,
Sun Sentinel,
27 June 2026
If public-key cryptography becomes breakable, attackers can impersonate services, weaken the handshakes that set up secure sessions and forge signatures that make malicious code look legitimate.
—
Kumar Mehta,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Jason Hobby was arrested by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office following the July 29, 2024 fire and charged with first-degree arson, along with several other offenses including impersonating a peace officer, menacing and false imprisonment.
—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Scammers may use personal information to impersonate companies or officials.
—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Cite this Entry
“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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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