impersonator

[im-pur-suh-ney-ter]

noun

1. a person who pretends to be another.

2. an actor who impersonates specific persons or types of persons as a form of entertainment.

3. female impersonator.

Word History and Origins

Origin of impersonator¹

First recorded in 1850–55; impersonate + -or ²

Example Sentences

She was the caregiver for Dale’s aging father, and in her spare time, a Michael Jackson impersonator.

From Los Angeles Times

Rossi was the name of his stepfather, who at the time was a popular Engelbert Humperdinck impersonator in Rhode Island.

From BBC

One of them included a wrestling match between impersonators of the comedians, with O’Brien emerging victorious.

From Salon

Alleged ICE impersonators also conducted a roadside armed robbery in Delaware.

From Salon

Concerns have spiked in recent weeks about ICE impersonators, the use of masks by federal agents to conduct ICE raids, and rumors about “bounty hunters.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• imitator www.thesaurus.com