impostor

noun

im·​pos·​tor im-ˈpä-stər How to pronounce impostor (audio)
variants or imposter
: one that assumes false identity or title for the purpose of deception

Examples of impostor in a Sentence

He claimed he was an experienced pilot, but he turned out to be an impostor. the man who claimed to be a prince turned out to be an impostor
Recent Examples on the Web MoneyWatch: Senate report calls out fraud, scam incidents through Zelle 03:45 In addition to recovering funds from scammers and reimbursing impostor scam victims, Zelle has implemented other policy changes to combat fraud on its network, Reuters reported. Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2023 The badge was the only symbol distinguishing the Times’ 55-million-follower account from impostors amid two major global conflicts in Israel and Ukraine. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023 Unfortunately, Tom had a bone to pick with this digital impostor. Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 8 Oct. 2023 The impostor was paid $450, plus a $50 bonus, for securing an invoice bearing a familiar Greenwich name. Dan Barry, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2023 Google knows the most about individual online accounts, including those used by impostors, and the physical location of hackers. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023 Turns out, the crotch-stuffing impostor spray-tanned his way into their ranks … and doesn’t seem that bothered by the deception. Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 Aug. 2023 But it was quickly inundated by impostor accounts, including those impersonating Nintendo, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Musk's businesses Tesla and SpaceX, so Twitter had to temporarily suspend the service days after its launch. CBS News, 21 Apr. 2023 But this is far from the company’s first run in with impostors. Lana Ferguson, Dallas News, 27 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impostor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin impostor, from Latin imponere

First Known Use

1564, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impostor was in 1564

Dictionary Entries Near impostor

Cite this Entry

“Impostor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impostor. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

impostor

noun
im·​pos·​tor
variants or imposter
: a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive

Legal Definition

impostor

noun
im·​pos·​tor
variants or imposter
: one that assumes a false identity or title for the purpose of deception : impersonator

More from Merriam-Webster on impostor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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