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impersonate

 - 4 dictionary results

im⋅per⋅son⋅ate

  [v. im-pur-suh-neyt; adj. im-pur-suh-nit, -neyt] verb, -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing, adjective
Use impersonate in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to assume the character or appearance of; pretend to be: He was arrested for impersonating a police officer.
2. to mimic the voice, mannerisms, etc., of (a person) in order to entertain.
3. to act or play the part of; personate.
4. Archaic. to represent in personal or bodily form; personify; typify.
–adjective
5. embodied in a person; invested with personality.
Origin:
1615–25; im- 1 + person + -ate 1

Related forms:
im⋅per⋅son⋅a⋅tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To impersonate
im·per·son·ate   (ĭm-pûr'sə-nāt')   
tr.v.   im·per·son·at·ed, im·per·son·at·ing, im·per·son·ates

  1. To assume the character or appearance of, especially fraudulently: impersonate a police officer.

  2. To imitate the appearance, voice, or manner of; mimic: an entertainer who impersonates celebrities.

  3. Archaic To embody; personify.

im·per'son·a'tion n., im·per'son·a'tor n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

impersonate 
1624, "to invest with a personality," from L. in- "in" + persona "person." Sense of "to assume the person or character of" is first recorded 1715. Impersonator in this sense is from 1853.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: im·per·son·ate
Pronunciation: im-'p&r-s&-"nAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -at·ed; -at·ing
: to assume (another's or a fictitious identity) without authority and with fraudulent intent <impersonate a police officer> <impersonated a public servant by saying he was from the water department> —im·per·son·a·tor /-"nA-t&r/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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