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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitative
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
The results suggested that felines may have imitative skills and the ability to recognize behavioral similarities.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Tesfaye and Ortega model two opposing modes of imitative, hollow performance, like a bad actor’s varying notions of good acting.
—Charles Bramesco, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
Explaining Traditions - Folk Behavior In Modern Culture By Simon J. Bronner
This kind of imitative play—not just Cooties but also House or Cops and Robbers—helps children make sense of the world.
—Bruce Handy, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitative
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
The results suggested that felines may have imitative skills and the ability to recognize behavioral similarities.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Tesfaye and Ortega model two opposing modes of imitative, hollow performance, like a bad actor’s varying notions of good acting.
—Charles Bramesco, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
Explaining Traditions - Folk Behavior In Modern Culture By Simon J. Bronner
This kind of imitative play—not just Cooties but also House or Cops and Robbers—helps children make sense of the world.
—Bruce Handy, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitative
Adjective
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For one, all THC-like intoxicating compounds and synthetic or lab-made cannabinoids would be prohibited.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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American food giants like Walmart’s Great Value brand, General Mills, Kraft Heinz and more are pledging to remove additives like synthetic dyes, certain preservatives and artificial sweeteners from their foods.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This recycling of historical materials, multiplied by the dozens of characters developed in Bomarzo, produces a mimetic effect.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
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To get robotic collectives closer to Terminator’s mimetic polyalloy, the team wants to make the robots smaller.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The elastic waistband stretches to move with you, and the pants come with faux buttons to make slipping them on a breeze.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
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The Philadelphia Eagles create a faux baseball game, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill used to mimic a potato sack race, and so on.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The first act is formulaic and its plot direction and obvious romantic couplings are forecast from the start.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
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While there is some variation, usually dependent on the designer, overall the look can feel a bit formulaic.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One 2020 study, published in the International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing, suggested that replacing windows with simulated versions could save millions of tons of carbon dioxide annually if adopted at scale.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
2 Oct. 2025
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British newspaper The Times reported Chinese fighter jets performed simulated missile attacks on the warship HMS Richmond, and China’s warships also stalked the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Flight 11 will target those same two splashdown zones, and Ship will aim to deploy another eight mock Starlinks, SpaceX wrote in Monday's update.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
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Recently, Taylor invited her daughter’s class to Euronews Albania for a behind-the-scenes look at how television is made, where the children took part in mock interviews and explored the studio with wide-eyed excitement.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
American food giants like Walmart’s Great Value brand, General Mills, Kraft Heinz and more are pledging to remove additives like synthetic dyes, certain preservatives and artificial sweeteners from their foods.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Their methods—ruthless melodic math, brazenly artificial production, and an odd soft spot for reggae rhythms—helped define the world-conquering sound of Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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These are games that mimic gambling, like slot machines, video poker and casino-style card games by selling virtual coins.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
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The active chemicals in cannabis mimic natural brain molecules called endocannabinoids, which stimulate cannabinoid receptors — together, these two elements represent the brain’s endocannabinoid system.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
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 8 Oct. 2025.
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