ĭmĭtātĭo, ōnis, f. id., imitation (class.; cf. aemulatio). In gen.: imitatio virtutis aemulatio dicitur, Cic. Tusc. 4, 8, 17; cf. Quint. 1, 2, 26: excellentium civium virtus imitatione digna, Cic. Phil. 14, 6, 17: imitatione tantam ingenii praestantiam consequi, id. Off. 3, 1, 1: ut ad imitationem sui vocet alios, id. Rep. 2, 42: periculosa exempli, id. Fl. 11, 24: antiquitatis, Quint. 11, 3, 10: nostrorum dictorum factorumque, id. 9, 2, 59: fori consiliorumque, id. 2, 4, 41 al.: in omni re vincit imitationem veritas, Cic. de Or. 3, 57, 215: nihil ostentationis aut imitationis afferre, id. 3, 12, 45: longe difficillima est imitationis imitatio, the copying of a copy, Plin. Ep. 4, 28, 3: certatim haec omnis imitatio lacessivit, ut, etc., Macr. S. 7, 13, 11.— The faculty of imitation: ingenii signum in parvis praecipuum memoria est: ... proximum imitatio, Quint. 1, 3, 1.— In rhet. lang. Imitation of an orator: imitatio est, in qua impellimur cum diligenti ratione, ut aliquorum similes in dicendo velimus esse, Auct. Her. 1, 2, 3; cf. Cic. de Or. 2, 22 sq.; Quint. 10, 2.— Imitation of a natural sound, onomatopœia, Auct. Her. 4, 31, 42.