impostor

== English == === Alternative forms === imposter impostour (obsolete) === Etymology === Borrowed from Middle French imposteur, respelled in the Latin manner; ultimately from Latin impositor, agent form of Latin imponere (“to impose”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪmˈpɒstə/ (General American) IPA(key): /ɪmˈpɑstɚ/ Hyphenation: im‧pos‧tor Rhymes: -ɒstə(ɹ) === Noun === impostor (plural impostors) Someone who attempts to deceive by using an assumed name or identity. (computer graphics) A sprite or animation integrated into a three-dimensional scene to look like part of the 3D world. Coordinate term: billboard (linguistics) A term referenced in an unusual grammatical person. ==== Usage notes ==== impostor is the traditional spelling; imposter was relatively rare, but has become almost as common as impostor since 2000.[1] ==== Synonyms ==== impersonator See also Thesaurus:deceiver ==== Hyponyms ==== quack ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Late Latin impostōrem. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central) [im.pusˈto] IPA(key): (Balearic) [im.posˈto] IPA(key): (Valencia) [im.posˈtoɾ] === Noun === impostor m (plural impostors, feminine impostora, feminine plural impostores) impostor (someone who uses a false identity) === Further reading === “impostor”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “impostor”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “impostor” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. “impostor” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962. == Galician == === Etymology === From Late Latin impostor. === Noun === impostor m (plural impostores, feminine impostora, feminine plural impostoras) impostor (someone who uses a false identity) === Further reading === “impostor”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 == Latin == === Etymology === From earlier impositor, agent noun of impōnō. === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ɪmˈpɔs.tɔr] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [imˈpɔs.tor] === Noun === impostor m (genitive impostōris); third declension (Late Latin) impostor ==== Declension ==== Third-declension noun. ==== Descendants ==== === References === “imposter, -ōris”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette. == Polish == === Alternative forms === imposter === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Late Latin impostor. Doublet of imposter. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /imˈpɔs.tɔr/ Rhymes: -ɔstɔr Syllabification: im‧pos‧tor === Noun === impostor m pers (dated) impostor (someone who uses a false identity) Hypernym: oszust ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === impostor in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Portuguese == === Etymology === Borrowed from Late Latin impostōrem. === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: im‧pos‧tor === Noun === impostor m (plural impostores, feminine impostora, feminine plural impostoras) impostor (someone who uses a false identity) ==== Related terms ==== impor imposto === Further reading === “impostor”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French imposteur. === Noun === impostor m (plural impostori) impostor ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Late Latin impostor. Cognate with English impostor. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /imposˈtoɾ/ [ĩm.posˈt̪oɾ] Rhymes: -oɾ Syllabification: im‧pos‧tor === Noun === impostor m (plural impostores, feminine impostora, feminine plural impostoras) impostor (someone who uses a false identity) ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “impostor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025