mimesis

/mɪˈmiːsɪs/

//mɪˈmiːsɪs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"mimesis" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mimesis” is an uncommon English word, ranked #89,634 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#89,634
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The representation of aspects of the real world, especially human actions, in literature and art.

Key facts for mimesis
PropertyValue
Headwordmimesis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mɪˈmiːsɪs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#89,634
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mimesis” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). mimesis lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for mimesis is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mɪˈmiːsɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #89,634 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

mimesis doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek μῑ́μησις (mī́mēsis), from μιμεῖσθαι (mimeîsthai, “to imitate”), from μῖμος (mîmos, “a mime”). By surface analysis, mime + -esis. The correct English form is mimesis, spelled M-I-M-E-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The representation of aspects of the real world, especially human actions, in literature and art.
  2. 2
    Mimicry.
  3. 3
    The appearance of symptoms of a disease not actually present.
  4. 4
    The rhetorical pedagogy of imitation.
  5. 5
    The imitation of another's gestures, pronunciation, or utterance.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μῑ́μησις (mī́mēsis), from μιμεῖσθαι (mimeîsthai, “to imitate”), from μῖμος (mîmos, “a mime”). By surface analysis, mime + -esis.

This word in other languages

mimesis(Español)mimèse(Français)Mimesis(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mimesis"?
"mimesis" is spelled M-I-M-E-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /mɪˈmiːsɪs/.
What does "mimesis" mean?
As a noun, "mimesis" means: The representation of aspects of the real world, especially human actions, in literature and art.
How do you pronounce "mimesis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mimesis" is /mɪˈmiːsɪs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "mimesis"?
From Ancient Greek μῑ́μησις (mī́mēsis), from μιμεῖσθαι (mimeîsthai, “to imitate”), from μῖμος (mîmos, “a mime”). By surface analysis, mime + -esis. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “mimesis”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-I-M-E-S-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mɪˈmiːsɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list