appersonation
|ap-per-so-na-tion|
🇺🇸
/əˌpɜrsəˈneɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/əˌpɜːsəˈneɪʃən/
pretending to be someone else
Etymology
'appersonation' ultimately derives from Latin 'persona' (via Medieval and Middle English formations), where 'persona' meant 'mask' or 'person'.
'appersonation' appears in Middle/early modern English as a variant formation built from the prefix a- (a- / ad- sense) plus 'personation' (from Latin 'persona'); it has existed alongside 'impersonation' and in modern English is a rare or archaic variant.
Originally it referred to assuming a 'persona' or mask (theatrical or figurative); over time it came to mean specifically 'pretending to be another person' or 'impersonation' in legal and common usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act of assuming the character, identity, or appearance of another person; personation or impersonation.
He was accused of appersonation after voting using someone else's name.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/09/24 22:31