( BrE also im·pos·ter ) / ɪmˈpɒstə(r); NAmE -ˈpɑːs-/ noun
a person who pretends to be sb else in order to trick people
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent. (in early use spelled imposture , and sometimes confused with imposture in meaning): from French imposteur , from late Latin impostor , contraction of impositor , from Latin imponere inflict, deceive (from in- in, upon + ponere put).