1
as in imitation
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
your writing style tends to be imitative of whichever author you've recently read
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
an imitative extract never has the flavor of the real thing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imitative
Conversations in dorm rooms and lecture halls consist of roughly 97% university-loathing and imitative protests to fire coaches and athletic directors.
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Noah White, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Third-party imitative learning from an immigrating parrot’s flockmates may facilitate overall group integration and social bonding and may even give rise to cultural conventions of coordinated movements or gestures.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In Roeck’s picture, competitive, rather than imitative, habits of mind rose from religious warfare, establishing a cutthroat system of cultural and economic innovation which lasts to this day.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Nautilus is bold in its changes to Captain Nemo’s story — new monsters, new villains — but imitative to other genre series in execution, and the vibe is a little didactic.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for imitative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitative
Adjective
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The women's beanie is highly functional, too, thanks to a blend of wool and synthetic materials that’ll take the chill out of biting days and perfectly stretch to fit your head.—
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One of the things that Patrick did to hint at the ending was creating this beautiful piece of music, while the girl is crying pearls, which was designed to be synthetic keyboard music.—
Adjective
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This image oscillates between mimetic naturalism and the geometry of the digital design process.—
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This recycling of historical materials, multiplied by the dozens of characters developed in Bomarzo, produces a mimetic effect.—
Adjective
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For maximum coziness, the Skechers Women’s Cozy Escape Snow Puff Slip-ins are like a hug for your feet, with memory foam cushioning and faux fur trim lining the booties.—
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Featuring a soft faux fur lining and non-slip rubber outsoles, these slides are sure to become your go-to shoes for cozy days at home.—
Adjective
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Flywing built multiplayer interaction into the system, allowing users to fly together in formation or engage in simulated combat scenarios.—
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The project started with a simulated takeoff and concluded with a simulated splashdown.—
Adjective
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Here, hotels can’t just scrape by with formulaic concepts.—
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The first charts to reflect this formulaic change will be on January 16, once YouTube has stopped sending its data.—
Adjective
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Once the artificial uterine lining was ready, the team introduced two types of embryos into the chip.—
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Not artificial, not external, but absolute.—
Adjective
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The semi-annual sale includes so many elegant staples, such as mock-neck cardigans, jackets with unique embellishments, and comfortable pants that look super polished — all starting at just $20.—
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She’s arrived early for her first shift and has already started the residents and med students on some training by way of mock codes.—
Adjective
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Punter Sean West — whose long 24-yard heave on a fake punt outgained every quarterback on the roster.—
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Green expertly applies fake eyelashes, thick foundation and a dessert brown eye look, while Messina goes to work piling tight curls atop my head.—
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Imitative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitative. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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