impersonate

verb

im·​per·​son·​ate im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce impersonate (audio)
impersonated; impersonating

transitive verb

: to assume or act the character of : personate
impersonation noun
impersonator noun

Examples of impersonate in a Sentence

He was arrested for impersonating a police officer. a comedian with a talent for impersonating famous politicians and actors
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
It was recently revealed that deepfake technology allowed a hostile actor to impersonate a top Ukrainian security official during a video call with a U.S. senator. Bernard Marr, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 Earlier this year, WIRED published a fascinating investigation into the world of gig workers who get paid to impersonate top-earning OnlyFans creators in online chats with their fans. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024 For the evening’s cold open, Dana Carvey returned once again, not to impersonate Joe Biden or Elon Musk, but to bring back one of his most beloved characters, the Church Lady. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2024 Additionally, Felisa was sentenced to six months for covering up the kidnapping and impersonating the victim — her sentence was later increased to 28 months. Jordana Comiter, People.com, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for impersonate 

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impersonate was in 1715

Dictionary Entries Near impersonate

Cite this Entry

“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

impersonate

verb
im·​per·​son·​ate im-ˈpərs-ᵊn-ˌāt How to pronounce impersonate (audio)
impersonated; impersonating
: to pretend to be some other person
impersonate a police officer
impersonation
-ˌpərs-ᵊn-ˈā-shən
noun
impersonator
-ˈpərs-ᵊn-ˌāt-ər
noun

Legal Definition

impersonate

transitive verb
im·​per·​son·​ate im-ˈpər-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce impersonate (audio)
impersonated; impersonating
: 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
impersonator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on impersonate

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