What does personating mean?
Personating means representing oneself as another person or assuming someone else’s identity or authority. The word is especially associated with legal and official language, where it commonly describes impersonation intended to deceive: a person may be accused of personating a police officer, an employee, or a government official. In theatrical or recreational contexts, it can also mean acting out a particular character or role, though the possibility of deceit often remains present in the term’s connotation. Compared with the broader impersonate, personating sounds somewhat more formal and institutional. It is especially useful when emphasizing the false assumption of another person’s identity or status, particularly in descriptions of offences, workplace rules, and official procedures.
verbTo impersonate someone, especially in order to deceive others or pretend to have an identity or authority that one does not possess.
- To impersonate another person with the intention of deceiving them.
- To represent oneself as another person or assume another person's identity or role.
"The visitor was accused of personating a company employee in order to enter the building."
"He was charged with personating a healthcare professional while carrying a false identification card."
"In the play, the actor is personating a magistrate during the opening scene."
To be caught personating someone can mean more than borrowing a disguise: it can amount to impersonation with legal consequences.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does personating come from?
The word belongs to a family derived from Latin persona, originally meaning a mask and later the character or role represented by a mask. From this root, English developed person and the later verb personate, which originally meant to act or portray a person and subsequently came to mean to impersonate someone. Related English forms such as persona, personality, personification, and personnel preserve different aspects of the same Latin foundation.
Related word forms
How personating is actually used
The word is standard in formal and legal English and is especially common in statutes and official documents. It often carries an implication of deliberate deception, although it can also describe the straightforward acting of a role.