Etymology

impostor

im·pos·tor
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Today it means: Someone who attempts to deceive by using an assumed name or identity. Full definition →

Middle French imposteur ← Latin impositor
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromimpositor
  2. Middle French · borrowed fromimposteur
  3. English todayimpostor

Borrowed from Middle French imposteur, respelled in the Latin manner; ultimately from Latin impositor, agent form of Latin imponere (“to impose”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.