# mimesis

> English word · Noun · IPA /mɪˈmiːsɪs/ · frequency rank #89,634

## Definitions
1. The representation of aspects of the real world, especially human actions, in literature and art.
2. Mimicry.
3. The appearance of symptoms of a disease not actually present.
4. The rhetorical pedagogy of imitation.
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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mimesis