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.
Often these scams will impersonate a retailer or shipping company to fool the victim. James Peckham, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025 Since its inception, Saturday Night Live has been impersonating public figures, from reality TV stars to movie stars to politicians and every profession in between. Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025 In practice, each member of the scout team would impersonate a rival player from Florida’s upcoming opponent. Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2025 Be Wary of Phishing Emails and Texts After a breach, scammers may impersonate the affected company to trick you into clicking malicious links. Alex Vakulov, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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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