imitative

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈɪmɪˌteɪtɪv/ UK /ˈɪmɪtətɪv/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
copying or modeled on something else; not original

His early paintings were merely imitative of his master's style.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · copying or modeled on... derivative copying mimetic unoriginal emulativeimitational

Opposites

original creative inventive novel

Word family

Derived forms imitativelyimitativeness

Related forms imitate imitation imitator inimitable

Etymology

From Latin imitativus, from imitari ('to copy, imitate'), from a root related to imago ('image').

imitativus Latin imitari Latin *aim- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# imitative

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈɪmɪˌteɪtɪv
**IPA (UK):** ˈɪmɪtətɪv

## Meanings
1. copying or modeled on something else; not original

## Examples
- His early paintings were merely imitative of his master's style.

## Synonyms
- derivative
- copying
- mimetic
- unoriginal
- emulative
- imitational

## Antonyms
- original
- creative
- inventive
- novel

## Derived Forms
- imitatively
- imitativeness

## Related Forms
- imitate
- imitation
- imitator
- inimitable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: imitativus
- Root: imitari
- Root: *aim-

## Etymology
From Latin imitativus, from imitari ('to copy, imitate'), from a root related to imago ('image').

## AI Etymology
imitative comes from Latin imitativus, from imitari ('to copy, imitate'), from a root related to imago ('image'). The path is chiefly one of transmission: the word passes through the named languages and forms, with each stage preserving part of the modern shape. In present English, the adjective sense is "copying or modeled on something else; not original", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as imitate, imitation, imitator, and inimitable, and in derivatives such as imitatively and imitativeness. Its semantic neighborhood includes derivative, copying, mimetic, and unoriginal, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin imitativus, Latin imitari, and Proto-Indo-European *aim-.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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