impersonate
pronunciation
How to pronounce impersonate in British English:
UK [ɪmˈpɜ:səneɪt]
How to pronounce impersonate in American English:
US [ɪmˈpɜrsəneɪt]
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- Verb:
- assume or act the character of
- represent another person with comic intentions
- pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions
Word Origin
- impersonate
- impersonate: see person
- impersonate (v.)
- 1620s, "to invest with a personality," from assimilated form of Latin in- "into, in" (see in- (2)) + persona "person." Sense of "to assume the person or character of" is first recorded 1715. Earlier in same sense was personate (1610s). Related: Impersonated; impersonating.
Example
- 1. To test their procedures they needed a man and a woman to impersonate a married couple for multiple sessions .
- 2. Phishing campaigns are spoof emails or spoof social networking messages that impersonate a business like linkedin to trick people into handing over email addresses , passwords and other personal information .
- 3. In addition , the personal nature of social networks makes it easier for criminals to impersonate someone , using their name and photo to contact friends and work colleagues .