imitative

adjective

ˈi-mə-ˌtā-tiv How to pronounce imitative (audio)
Definition of imitativenext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of imitative Using techniques like input-dependent computation and gating, the liquid AI design gives us substantially greater power to access the human-like cognition, albeit imitative, of the machines. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Since then, whenever new tools to crank out communications have become available, somebody has flooded the zone with the fastest, most imitative material that could garner attention. — Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2025 It may be borrowed or coined, named after a person, inspired by a place or imitative of a sound. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 Conversations in dorm rooms and lecture halls consist of roughly 97% university-loathing and imitative protests to fire coaches and athletic directors. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for imitative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitative
  1. mimetic
  2. synthetic
  3. formulaic
  4. faux
  5. mock
  6. simulated
  7. unoriginal
  8. artificial
Adjective
  • But the legacy of the modernist academic-cultural complex blinds us to the mimetic spirit of this new technical logic.
    — Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • College and university bureaucracies tend to have a strong mimetic streak.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of mimetic
Adjective
  • Feathers, synthetic hair and translucent organza were worked into exaggerated silhouettes, alongside insect-like décolletés, feline pantaboots, moss-green leather and cheetah-print effects.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The exterior of the sculpture is adorned with synthetic braids, a fundamental material with Peacock, for whom braiding is a metaphor for relation, an embrace, irreducible intimacy.
    — Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of synthetic
Adjective
  • But even still, in an era of rising costs and formulaic games, the Playdate remains a breath of fresh air, a comparatively affordable platform that’s home to games that are inventive and surprising.
    — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The inherent challenge in making films dealing with progressive illness is not succumbing to an inescapably formulaic structure that can’t help but go with the territory.
    — Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of formulaic
Adjective
  • Floral garlands, vases, faux windows, buckets, and even a trompe-l’oeil lion skin evoke an atmosphere quite far removed from the typical imagery found in houses in this part of Italy.
    — Elena Dallorso, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This + a faux-fur coat + beloved leather pants + a 44-percent-off deal = your most head-turning (and wallet-sparing) ensemble to date.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of faux
Adjective
  • Carson and Guillermo stepped onto the dance floor with sunglasses and A-list celebrity swagger as flashes from mock photographers filled the introduction.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In another thread, Strong’s Zuckerberg twitches with irritation through mock congressional hearings, with a PR team headed by crisis management specialist Raya (Wunmi Mosaku), whose task is to make the Facebook CEO likable.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of mock
Adjective
  • In addition to rewards for moving at the right speed and in the right direction and penalties for things like wobbling or jerky movement, the team introduced a novel way to keep the hand in a crawling stance during the simulated training.
    — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors also accuse Flores of ordering torture and helping oversee a system of repression in which prisoners were subjected to electric shocks, simulated drowning, beatings and threats against their families.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of simulated
Adjective
  • Summary Leaders are increasingly sounding generic, often using similar buzzwords, a trend exacerbated by AI's ability to generate competent but unoriginal communication.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • No moral panic is more unoriginal than the fear that contemporary men are no longer as manly as the heroes who preceded them.
    — Elizabeth Dray, STAT, 21 July 2026
Definition of unoriginal
Adjective
  • But deeper into the community is the Louisiana Leadership Institute, a sprawling complex that includes a full-scale gymnasium, classrooms, a fine arts center, a football field and a stadium with artificial turf.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The explosion caused an artificial radiation belt that destroyed several satellites and partially knocked out street lights and phone lines in Hawaii.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of artificial

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imitations
imitative
imitator
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Cite this Entry

“Imitative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitative. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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