impostor

noun

im·​pos·​tor im-ˈpä-stər How to pronounce impostor (audio)
variants or imposter
: one that assumes false identity or title for the purpose of deception

Examples of impostor in a Sentence

He claimed he was an experienced pilot, but he turned out to be an impostor. the man who claimed to be a prince turned out to be an impostor
Recent Examples on the Web The same type of evil is in the bank impostor scam. Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 The trope is familiar from classic narratives in which the mulatto is always living an imitation of life, an impostor on both sides of the racial divide. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2024 Sometimes such impostors adopt false online personas in order to gain entrance to chat groups or private servers. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2024 In Rankin’s short, Rankin himself plays an impostor posing as the not-so-famous Winnipeg filmmaker Matthew Rankin. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for impostor 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impostor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin impostor, from Latin imponere

First Known Use

1564, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impostor was in 1564

Dictionary Entries Near impostor

Cite this Entry

“Impostor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impostor. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

impostor

noun
im·​pos·​tor
variants or imposter
: a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive

Legal Definition

impostor

noun
im·​pos·​tor
variants or imposter
: one that assumes a false identity or title for the purpose of deception : impersonator

More from Merriam-Webster on impostor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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