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

The revelation sparked a wave of comments from TikTok users, many of whom have experienced their own pets' surprising mimicry. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025

Meanwhile, the voice assistant, who speaks in various tones, raises ethical questions about emotional mimicry that erodes boundaries between humans and machines. —Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025

That evolution—away from mimicry and toward authenticity—was at the heart of our presentation. —Jessica Dupuy, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

This should all play like hollow mimicry — less tribute than televisual karaoke. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025

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