mimicry

noun

mim·​ic·​ry ˈmi-mi-krē 

plural mimicries

1

a

: an instance of mimicking

b

: the action, practice, or art of mimicking

entertained his family with mimicry and comic skits

—Cynthia Ozick

2

: a superficial (see superficial sense 2b) resemblance of one organism to another or to natural objects among which it lives that secures it a selective advantage (such as protection from predation)

Examples of mimicry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The key is that the AI must have sufficient data about the person to pull off the mimicry. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025

The mimicry of behaviors by a monarch needs to stop. —Barron Witherspoon Sr, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2025

Already, the mimicry is good enough for some—the lonely, the imaginative. —Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 14 July 2025

That was transformation with intent—commentary through mimicry. —Aron Solomon june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

mimicry

noun

mim·​ic·​ry ˈmim-i-krē 

plural mimicries

1

: the action, art, or an instance of mimicking

2

: a resemblance of one living thing to another or to natural objects among which it lives that gives it an advantage (as concealment or protection from predators)

Medical Definition

mimicry

noun

mim·​ic·​ry ˈmim-i-krē 

plural mimicries

: an instance of mimicking something