personate

¹

[ pur-suh-neyt ]

verb (used with object)

, per·son·at·ed, per·son·at·ing.

1. to act or portray (a character in a play, a part, etc.).
2. to assume the character or appearance of; pass oneself off as, especially with fraudulent intent; impersonate.
3. to represent in terms of personal properties or characteristics; personify.

verb (used without object)

, per·son·at·ed, per·son·at·ing.

1. to act or play a part.

personate

²

[ pur-suh-nit, -neyt ]

adjective

1. Botany.
   1. (of a bilabiate corolla) masklike.
   2. having the lower lip pushed upward so as to close the gap between the lips, as in the snapdragon.
2. Zoology.
   1. having a masked or disguised form, as the larvae of certain insects.
   2. having masklike markings.

personate

¹

/ ˈpɜːsənɪt; -ˌneɪt /

adjective

1. (of the corollas of certain flowers) having two lips in the form of a face

personate

²

/ ˈpɜːsəˌneɪt /

verb

1. to act the part of (a character in a play); portray
2. a less common word for personify
3. criminal law to assume the identity of (another person) with intent to deceive

Derived Forms

• ˈpersonˌator, noun
• ˌpersonˈation, noun
• ˈpersonative, adjective

Other Words From

• per·son·a·tion [pur-s, uh, -, ney, -sh, uh, n], noun
• per·son·a·tive adjective
• per·son·a·tor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of personate¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; verb use of Latin persōnātus “wearing a mask, masked”; person ( def )

Origin of personate²

First recorded in 1750–60; from New Latin, Latin; persōnātus “masked”; persona, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of personate¹

C18: from New Latin persōnātus masked, from Latin persōna; see person

Example Sentences

So that a Person, is the same that an Actor is, both on the Stage and in common Conversation; and to Personate, is to Act, or Represent himself, or another.

From Literature

He did not go out of his house that night, and next morning I contrived a well plotted stratagem notwithstanding he had a gentleman in his house to personate him.

From Slate

Now Perkin Warbeck had first appeared in Ireland in 1491, and had somehow been persuaded there to personate Richard, duke of York, the younger of the two princes murdered in the Tower, pretending that he had escaped, though his brother had been killed.

From Project Gutenberg

Corolla personate, with the prominent palate often nearly closing the throat, spurred at base on the lower side.

From Project Gutenberg

Corolla personate, the palate on the lower lip projecting, often closing the throat; upper lip erect.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• act like
• ape
• assume
• duplicate
• echo
• emulate
• impersonate
• mimic
• mirror
• mock
• pretend
• replicate
• reproduce
• resemble
• simulate