imitation

imitation — adjective

1. produced to resemble a genuine, usually expensive item, but sold as a cheaper su

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

produced to resemble a genuine, usually expensive item, but sold as a cheaper substitute

Example

Michael bought an imitation leather jacket for a fraction of the real price.

collocation: imitation leather / imitation silk / imitation pearls

The market stalls sell imitation designer bags that look very convincing.

Common collocations
  • imitation leather
  • imitation silk
  • imitation pearls
  • imitation diamonds
  • imitation wood
  • imitation goods
  • imitation products
Synonyms
  • fake

    broader and more common in everyday speech; can refer to documents, money, or claims

  • artificial

    focuses on being man-made rather than natural, not necessarily a copy of something

  • synthetic

    technically made from chemical compounds; used for materials like fabric or rubber

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

imitation + noun

Usage Note

Only placed before a noun (attributive). Describes products that copy the look of genuine items but are sold as cheaper alternatives. Not used to describe fake documents or counterfeit money — use 'fake' or 'counterfeit' for those.

Common Mistakes

This bag is imitation.' (using predicatively is rare and unnatural).
This is an imitation bag.
use imitation + noun structure.
I bought a imitation watch.' (wrong article).
I bought an imitation watch.
use 'an' before vowel sounds.

imitation — noun

Word family

  • imitate
    verbB2
  • imitator
    nounC1
  • imitative
    adjectiveC1
  • unimitative
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Imitation is the broadest term, covering any act of copying someone's behaviour, voice, or appearance. Mimicry focuses on copying voice or physical movements and is also used in biology (e.g. protective mimicry in insects). Impersonation is a deliberate imitation of a specific person, often to deceive others or to entertain an audience as a performance. Parody imitates a style, work, or person for humorous or critical effect, deliberately exaggerating key features. Copy is more general and often refers to reproducing a physical object or text rather than behaviour. For example, a child's imitation of a parent's sneeze is simple mimicry; a comedian's impersonation of a politician is a skilled imitation; a parody film imitates a genre's conventions for laughs. You would not say 'copy' for a vocal impression — use 'imitation' or 'impersonation' instead.

imitation ↗mimicryimpersonationparodycopy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in imitation of
  • a pale imitation of
  • a cheap imitation of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Imitation entered English in the 14th century from Old French, coming from the Latin word imitatio (imitari — to copy, portray). The Latin root imitari is related to the same ancient root that gave English the word image. For centuries, imitation was used most often in discussions of art and performance — the idea that painting, theatre, and sculpture are 'imitative arts' that copy nature. Its modern use for cheap knock-off products developed in the 19th century with mass manufacturing.