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imitation

[im-i-tey-shuhn]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

a result or product of imitating.

the act of imitating.

a counterfeit; copy.

a literary composition that imitates the manner or subject of another author or work.

Biology. mimicry.

EXPAND

Psychology. the performance of an act whose stimulus is the observation of the act performed by another person.

Sociology. the copying of patterns of activity and thought of other groups or individuals.

Art.

(in Aristotelian aesthetics) the representation of an object or an action as it ought to be.

the representation of actuality in art or literature.

Music. the repetition of a melodic phrase at a different pitch or key from the original or in a different voice part.

COLLAPSE

adjective

10.

designed to imitate a genuine or superior article or thing: imitation leather.

11.

Jewelry. noting an artificial gem no part of which is of the true gemstone. Compare assembled, synthetic (def. 5).

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Imitation is always a great word to know.

So is cell. Does it mean:

a microscopic structure containing nuclear and cytoplasmic material enclosed by a semipermeable membrane, the basic structural unit of all organisms

any organism that derives its energy for food synthesis from light and is capable of using carbon dioxide as its principal source of carbon

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Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin imitātiōn- (stem of imitātiō). See imitate, -ion

Related forms

im·i·ta·tion·al, adjective

non·im·i·ta·tion·al, adjective

o·ver·im·i·ta·tion, noun

pre·im·i·ta·tion, noun

self-im·i·ta·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To imitation

Example Sentences

But imitation facing brick, sold at home centers, looks almost exactly the same and is easily applied.

For any scholar contemplating an imitation of my method, choose a group or subject you find essentially repulsive.

Imitation is the standard way of learning the devices, the ground rules and the styles available in music.

EXPAND

But imitation facing brick, sold at home centers, looks almost exactly the same and is easily applied.

For any scholar contemplating an imitation of my method, choose a group or subject you find essentially repulsive.

Imitation is the standard way of learning the devices, the ground rules and the styles available in music.

Zircons are heavy, durable minerals related to the synthetic cubic zirconium used for imitation diamonds and costume jewelry.

Imitation is thought to be the sincerest form of flattery-even when the mimic and model are unaware of the mimicry.

Both canid species will respond to imitation calls from humans.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Imitation in this case is not a form of flattery but of subtle persuasion.

The expressive aspects of distortion frequently move us more than the awe that accompanies accurate imitation.

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but some of the imitatees can't take a compliment.

Sygyt, for example, is simply an imitation of singing birds or gentle breezes.

Animals that live in complex social groups may employ vocal imitation to strengthen and maintain social bonds.

To clinch the deal, the researchers built imitation chiles and loaded them with differing amounts of capsaicin.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the iPod must be blushing its scroll wheel off right now.

Koontz, imitation is nothing more than the sincerest form of rip-offMr.

Boon argues that originality is more complicated than it seems, and that imitation may be the sincerest form of being human.

Instead, you may be offered imitation bear's paw made from mutton pushed into a paw-shaped mould.

Scientists behind the discovery say elephants are capable of vocal imitation and learning.

Ultimately, understanding how a bird learns a song might shed some light on how humans learn a language or a skill by imitation.

For this price, imitation carbon fiber shouldn't wrinkle at the edges or pick up smudges.

But a performance is not the imitation of an action, but the action itself.

All we'd end up with is an imitation of the look of believing in your kind of art.

Phoney ducks frolic in pseudo-streams that babble beside imitation cobbled streets.

Parrots, however, are not the only birds that learn by imitation.

Imitation and re-interpretation is a cornerstone of art.

But it also makes a skinless all-beef dog that is a pale imitation of the real thing.

Burke turns to imitation as another potential force of outward propulsion.

On the one hand, imitation is the highest form of praise.

Imitation of the wealthy is a popular hobby, especially for school children.

They were in the imitation business more than anything.

Target is determined to narrow the gap through that sincerest form of flattery, imitation.

The inevitable heuristic effect is the enaction of imitation science rather than the generation of significant knowledge.

One is that it is a pale imitation of the force that caused inflation: a form of repulsive gravity.

It is said that the imitation of the real article is so close that many epicures have a high opinion of the sham product.

But the pointless campaigns were lively, colourful affairs, giving an impressive imitation of the forms of democracy.

Previous efforts to understand how babies learn to talk had focused on the role of imitation in speech acquisition.

Others that man's mastery of language or his capacity for imitation and social learning hold the key.

Scientists behind the discovery say elephants are capable of vocal imitation and.

Imitation shark's fin is already available should anybody want.

Now another poor imitation of an age-old tool has come to our.

Sometimes an imitation or re-creation can be too good.

Graftobian sells imitation blood in liquid, gel and powder form.

People pop the top and savor the brisk chemical bite and the imitation lemon.

The tricky part about learning through imitation is that the student has to have the same parts as the teacher.

For the six big broadcast television networks, imitation is the sincerest form of desperation.

Individualism and creativity are frowned upon in a culture that prizes the art of imitation and the politics of deference.

Imitation of other people's ways holds pale pleasure at best beside that of creating one's own.

Integrated fly compartment easily has enough room for a day's worth of imitation insects.

I've never been anywhere that tried to be such a complete imitation of something else.

In many cases, the quality of the imitation is the same as the original or even better.

These sorts of studies are crucial to our field lifting the veil of imitation that dance education has relied on too long.

Hitler's conspicuous actions have all been an imitation of his father and not his mother.

We encourage huge numbers of young people into sport and entertainment in imitation of a tiny number of notorious.

He was also charged with possessing explosives with intent to endanger life and possessing an imitation firearm.

The show's avoidance of slavish imitation made for the best kind of tribute:.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

imitation (ˌɪmɪˈteɪʃən)

—n
1.	the act, practice, or art of imitating; mimicry
2.	an instance or product of imitating, such as a copy of the manner of a person; impression
3.	a. a copy or reproduction of a genuine article; counterfeit
	b. (as modifier): imitation jewellery
4.	(in contrapuntal or polyphonic music) the repetition of a phrase or figure in one part after its appearance in another, as in a fugue
5.	a literary composition that adapts the style of an older work to the writer's own purposes

imi'tational

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

imitation

c.1500, from O.Fr. imitacion, from L. imitationem (nom. imitatio) "imitation," from imitari "to copy, portray, imitate," from PIE *im-eto-, from base *aim- "copy." (Related to L. imago, see image). The verb imitate is first recorded 1530s.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

imitation

in psychology, the reproduction or performance of an act that is stimulated by the perception of a similar act by another animal or person. Essentially, it involves a model to which the attention and response of the imitator are directed

Learn more about imitation with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Matching Quote

"The bad gains respect through imitation, the good loses it—especially in art."

-Friedrich Nietzsche

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