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imposture
noun
imposture, fraud, sham, fake, humbug, counterfeit mean a thing made to seem other than it is.
imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.
fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.
sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.
fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.
humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.
counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.
Examples of imposture in a Sentence
Word History
Late Latin impostura, from Latin impositus, impostus, past participle of imponere
1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near imposture
Cite this Entry
“Imposture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imposture. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
imposture
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on imposture
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for imposture
Nglish: Translation of imposture for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of imposture for Arabic Speakers
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