1. Someone who pretends to be another person in order to deceive others: Sherlock, the clever detective, identified the impostor who tried to mislead the police.
2. A person who practices fraud as another character, identity, or name: Irene, the imposter, inveigled her way into the confidence of the wealthy old man.

People who are spies for their governments often pose as imposters so they can work without revealing their real objectives.

3. Etymology: from about 1586, from Middle French imposteur, from Late Latin impostorem, impostor; from impostus, collateral form of impositus; past participle of imponere, "place upon, impose upon, deceive"; from in-, "in" + ponere, "to put, to place". © ALL rights are reserved.

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