1. take or follow as a model: "his style was imitated by many other writers"Similaremulatecopytake as a modelmodel oneself ontake as a patternpattern oneself on/afterfollow the example oftake as an exampletake as a role modeltake afterfollowfollow in someone's steps/footstepsechoparrotfollow suittake a leaf out of someone's bookinformal:rip off
▪ copy or simulate:"synthetic fabrics can now imitate everything from silk to rubber"Similarresemblelook likebe likesimulatematchechomirrorbring to mindremind one of
Word Originmid 16th century: from Latin imitat- ‘copied’, from the verb imitari; related to imago ‘image’.