mimetic

adjective

mi·​met·​ic mə-ˈme-tik How to pronounce mimetic (audio)
mī-
1
2
: relating to, characterized by, or exhibiting mimicry
mimetic coloring of a butterfly
mimetically adverb

Examples of mimetic in a Sentence

boys have a tendency toward mimetic behavior, often imitating their fathers at a fairly early age
Recent Examples on the Web Underneath it all, the mimetic mechanism is whirring, biding its time between crises. Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023 Praise, though often hyperbolic or even mimetic, is more easily and leisurely measured out. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023 Girard drew from his early-career studies of literary figures such as Proust the insight that desire is essentially imitative (or mimetic) rather than straightforwardly directed toward its apparent objects. Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 Driving through its absurd, gigantic fiberglass doughnut — a pristine example of mimetic architecture — is a brief, giddy and almost spiritual experience. Tejal Rao, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2023 Effects of an oral ghrelin mimetic on body composition and clinical outcomes in healthy older adults: a randomized trial. The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 July 2023 For the experiment, the research team quantified how many fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers wolves and dogs in their mimetic muscles, New Scientist reports. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Apr. 2022 As mnemonic devices, photographs are intimidating in their mimetic perfection. Phoebe Chen, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2023 Goldsworthy’s work, instead, remains on the track of the socially mimetic English novel, epitomized by George Eliot and Margaret Drabble. Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mimetic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin mimeticus, from Greek mimētikos, from mimeisthai to imitate, from mimos mime

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mimetic was in 1637

Dictionary Entries Near mimetic

Cite this Entry

“Mimetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mimetic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mimetic

adjective
mi·​met·​ic mə-ˈmet-ik How to pronounce mimetic (audio)
mī-
: relating to, characterized by, or exhibiting mimicry
mimetic coloring of a fish

Medical Definition

mimetic

adjective
mi·​met·​ic mə-ˈmet-ik How to pronounce mimetic (audio) mī- How to pronounce mimetic (audio)
: simulating the action or effect of
usually used in combination
sympathomimetic drugs
adrenocorticomimetic activity
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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