Impostor
/ɪmˈpɒs.tər/noun
A person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive.
Did you know?The word entered English through Latin and Old French, and its verb ancestor is tied to the idea of ‘placing upon’—a linguistic reminder that deception can literally be something *laid onto* a person.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
imponere
“to place upon, lay on, impose”
Late Latin
Latin
impostor
“one who imposes on others; deceiver”
Old French
Old French
imposteur
“a deceiver, pretender”
Late 16th Century
English
impostour
“a deceiver, fraud”
Modern English
English
impostor
“a person who pretends to be someone else to deceive”