as in reproduction
something that is made to look exactly like something else
challenged me to tell the real roses from the silk imitations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
the stage production uses only imitation diamonds, as real gems would be prohibitively expensive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of imitation
Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
His imitation of her reaction was pure vaudeville and had the girls in stitches.
—Larry David, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Just as imitation antiques won’t resonate like the real thing, neither will a home full of pieces that don’t carry any sentiment or meaning.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025
An imitation gun was recovered from the young suspects — but not the knife, police sources told the Daily News.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitation
Noun
Sleep-mimicking anesthetics, like Dex, don’t produce a perfect imitation.
—Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
His imitation of her reaction was pure vaudeville and had the girls in stitches.
—Larry David, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Just as imitation antiques won’t resonate like the real thing, neither will a home full of pieces that don’t carry any sentiment or meaning.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025
An imitation gun was recovered from the young suspects — but not the knife, police sources told the Daily News.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitation
Noun
-
The findings are changing the way scientists understand ant reproduction, showing that ants can produce individuals of another species as part of their life cycle.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Through pollination, insects enable the reproduction of flowering plants, including many that form the base of food chains or are agriculturally important to humans.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There are so many fun home decor in Pottery Barn’s clearance section for less than $50, including candle holders, faux plants, and even (some) bedding.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Particular standouts are a walnut and parchment media console, faux-fur pouf ottomans with an angular chrome base, a unique performance velvet sectional, and a particularly striking set of dining chairs.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That’s more than 500 equivalent copies from the period before, with more than 2,400 of those being pure sales.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Calligraphers like Mustapha produce sacred work, such as copies of the Quran, books of religious poetry, and amulets.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, newer synthetic drugs such as spice or bath salts may not be detected at all without specialized equipment.—
Andrew Yockey,
The Conversation,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The Yoga 9i 2-in-1 placed second in Cinebench and fourth in Geekbench, two synthetic benchmarks that test CPU performance.—
Mark Coppock,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There is also an actual mechanical shark that visitors can manipulate, albeit a scale replica.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
One of the new additions to the lobby is a replica of a 1925 chandelier, recreated by artisans from photos that were discovered of the original ornate light fixture.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His view aligns with ideas put forth by Gerard O’Neill, the late physicist and Princeton University professor who posited that humans should aspire to live in gargantuan space stations that orbit close to home and spin to provide simulated gravity.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In these trials, a DJI M300 drone carried a defibrillator in response to a simulated 999 call.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Colbert made several jokes about needing a job and even brought a fake resume with a youthful headshot of himself.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The Nepalese government, citing concerns over fake accounts, hate speech, disinformation and fraud, said the measures were to ensure accountability and make operators responsible for content on their platforms.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
To address these challenges, the Institute of Energy carried out research on the steady-state operation performance of China’s USD one-trillion ‘artificial sun’ fusion reactor.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Vote as many times as you’d like until then without using bots or any other artificial methods of voting.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitation. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share