imitative
imitative Lexical Profile
imitative Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Following a model or example; copying or reproducing the style, behavior, or characteristics of someone or something else, sometimes lacking originality.
"Early works by young painters are often imitative of the masters they admire before they develop their own distinct style."
Relating to or designating a word formed in imitation of a natural sound; onomatopoeic.
"Words like 'buzz', 'hiss', and 'splash' are classic examples of imitative vocabulary in English."
• noun
A word formed by imitating the natural sound associated with the object or action it refers to; an onomatopoeia.
"The linguist cataloged dozens of avian imitatives used by local speakers to name native birds after their calls."
• Rhymes for imitative
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 15th century from Late Latin imitativus, derived from Latin imitatus, the past participle of imitari ('to copy or portray'), which shares a root with imago ('image').