1
as in imitation
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
your writing style tends to be imitative of whichever author you've recently read
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
an imitative extract never has the flavor of the real thing
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 imitative
Conversations in dorm rooms and lecture halls consist of roughly 97% university-loathing and imitative protests to fire coaches and athletic directors.
—
Noah White, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Third-party imitative learning from an immigrating parrot’s flockmates may facilitate overall group integration and social bonding and may even give rise to cultural conventions of coordinated movements or gestures.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In Roeck’s picture, competitive, rather than imitative, habits of mind rose from religious warfare, establishing a cutthroat system of cultural and economic innovation which lasts to this day.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Nautilus is bold in its changes to Captain Nemo’s story — new monsters, new villains — but imitative to other genre series in execution, and the vibe is a little didactic.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitative
Noah White, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Third-party imitative learning from an immigrating parrot’s flockmates may facilitate overall group integration and social bonding and may even give rise to cultural conventions of coordinated movements or gestures.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In Roeck’s picture, competitive, rather than imitative, habits of mind rose from religious warfare, establishing a cutthroat system of cultural and economic innovation which lasts to this day.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Nautilus is bold in its changes to Captain Nemo’s story — new monsters, new villains — but imitative to other genre series in execution, and the vibe is a little didactic.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitative
Adjective
-
Cole’s canvases were synthetic constructions teeming with homilies.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
This organic approach supports healthier harvests while reducing reliance on synthetic pest control methods.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
It’s supposed to be mimetic of speech.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
One of the most delightful examples of mimetic architecture along Route 66, this West Hollywood gem does exactly what the structure suggests: serves mouthwatering hot dogs.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The former Sidos space has been transformed into a restaurant with neon signs, faux greenery, tapestries depicting temples and spiral light fixtures.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
5 May 2026
-
The production is staged in the faux Pantages Theater in the Hollywood section of the theme park, near Mel’s Drive-In restaurant.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 May 2026
Adjective
-
While many hospitality programs offer simulated environments, our students step directly into Miami, the ultimate hospitality laboratory.—
Dr. Michael Cheng,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The simulated winds, which in a recent test purposefully fluctuated between 30 and 55 mph (50 to 90 kph), continually pushed the flames toward the home.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For years, tech experts like Hinton predicted displacement by AI partly because some radiologists’ tasks are seemingly formulaic and repetitive, such as reading scans and writing reports.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
-
The other side sees it as an existential threat that could eliminate countless jobs, suck the heart and soul out of film production, and generate dull, formulaic content that will continue to drive audiences away from theaters.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bubble Up has a more natural taste than many of its competitors because it’s made with pure cane sugar and lemon and lime oils, rather than high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors, The Tasting Table reported.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
The company was founded in 1879 by Carl von Linde, a pioneer in the invention of artificial refrigeration systems.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Analysts published mock drafts with the Panthers taking Jordyn Tyson and Omar Cooper Jr.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The segment was the comedian's mock alternative speech to the White House Correspondents' dinner, which aired two days before the real event the Trumps attended together ended in gunfire.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ferro was arrested in May 2025 and found in possession of two firearms and a fake ID.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
One tweet features an AI cover of a fake Slayr album called BURGERMAN that imagines him as a half-burger, half-human hybrid engulfed in a hellish flood of grease and cheese splatter.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Imitative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitative. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
