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 findings in budgies contrast sharply with what scientists have observed in zebra finches, a species of songbird that, unlike budgerigars, does not engage in vocal mimicry. —Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025

In Ecology this week, the team reports that the chick’s strange appearance may be a case of Batesian mimicry, in which a harmless animal tries to ward off predators by resembling a different, more dangerous species. —Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 20 Mar. 2025

This raises existential questions about authenticity, the unique role of human emotion in art, and whether such emotional mimicry will resonate in the same way as genuine human creativity. —Virginie Berger, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

That’s what makes this performance, which goes beyond mere mimicry, so beautiful and so compelling. —Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 2 Mar. 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