personation
|per-so-na-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌpɝsəˈneɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌpɜːsəˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
pretending to be someone else
Etymology
'personation' originates from English, specifically from the verb 'personate', which ultimately comes from Latin 'persona', where 'persona' meant 'mask' or 'person'.
'personation' changed from the verb 'personate' (formed in late 16th century) and the suffix '-ation' was added to create the noun 'personation', reflecting development from Latin 'persona' via Early Modern English.
Initially related to 'acting a part' or 'playing a role' (from theatrical 'persona'), but over time it evolved to denote the act of assuming another's identity, often with fraudulent intent.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act of pretending to be another person; impersonation.
Her personation of the celebrity fooled many of the fans.
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Noun 2
(Legal) The crime or fraudulent act of assuming another person's identity or representing oneself as another, often to deceive or gain advantage.
He was arrested for personation after voting in someone else's name.
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Last updated: 2025/12/22 01:12