mimicry

noun

mim·​ic·​ry ˈmi-mi-krē 

plural mimicries

1

a

: an instance of mimicking

b

: the action, practice, or art of mimicking

… entertained his family with mimicry and comic skits.

—Cynthia Ozick

2

: a superficial (see superficial sense 2b) resemblance of one organism to another or to natural objects among which it lives that secures it a selective advantage (such as protection from predation)

Examples of mimicry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Up next is Tezzus and diamond*, the de facto captains of ØWay, who have taken the modern rapper’s scalpel to his jagged flows in a way that’s beyond straight mimicry. —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026

Comedian Pulkit Mani performed a sharp mimicry of Modi's exuberance and awkward hugs while meeting world leaders. —Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026

This too was an act of mimicry. —Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026

Leaf mimicry is an especially clever form of camouflage. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

mimicry

noun

mim·​ic·​ry ˈmim-i-krē 

plural mimicries

1

: the action, art, or an instance of mimicking

2

: a resemblance of one living thing to another or to natural objects among which it lives that gives it an advantage (as concealment or protection from predators)

Medical Definition

mimicry

noun

mim·​ic·​ry ˈmim-i-krē 

plural mimicries

: an instance of mimicking something