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
Determined to be seen as extraordinary, Elizabeth begins copying, stalking and impersonating Laura to try and win a Harvard spot for herself.
—
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 20 June 2026
Hobby is still charged with impersonating a police officer and firefighter.
—Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 19 June 2026
In an effort to conceal the causes of death, Sit impersonated the owners and had the dogs cremated, according to prosecutors.
—Seamus Bozeman
follow, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for impersonate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 20 June 2026
Hobby is still charged with impersonating a police officer and firefighter.
—Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 19 June 2026
In an effort to conceal the causes of death, Sit impersonated the owners and had the dogs cremated, according to prosecutors.
—Seamus Bozeman
follow, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 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 24 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
