impostor
UK: ɪmˈpɒstə | US: ɪmˈpɑːstər
n. a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others
n. (historical) a tax collector in some regions
The word "impostor" traces back to Latin impostor (a deceiver), derived from imponere ("to impose" or "to deceive"). The morpheme im- (variant of in-, meaning "in" or "upon") combines with post- (from ponere, "to place"), reflecting the idea of "placing falsehood upon someone." The suffix -or denotes an agent, forming a noun meaning "one who deceives." Over time, the term evolved to describe frauds or pretenders, especially those assuming false identities.
The man claiming to be a doctor was exposed as an impostor.
She felt like an impostor among the experts, despite her qualifications.
The impostor collected taxes under a fake name in the 18th century.
His nervous behavior made others suspect he was an impostor.
The novel’s villain is a cunning impostor who manipulates the protagonist.