appersonation: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very RareTechnical / Medical
Quick answer
What does “appersonation” mean?
The act of identifying oneself with another person, often to the point of believing one has become that person.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act of identifying oneself with another person, often to the point of believing one has become that person.
A psychological phenomenon where an individual assumes the identity, characteristics, or experiences of another person, sometimes as a symptom of certain mental health conditions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant regional differences in meaning; term is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Clinical, pathological connotation in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both British and American English; almost exclusively found in specialized literature.
Grammar
How to Use “appersonation” in a Sentence
experience [appersonation]suffer from [appersonation]diagnose [appersonation]describe [appersonation]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “appersonation” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The patient began to appersonate his therapist, adopting his speech patterns.
- In severe cases, individuals may appersonate fictional characters.
American English
- The client appeared to appersonate his late father during the session.
- Some theories suggest children appersonate caregivers during development.
adverb
British English
- He began to act appersonatively, mirroring his brother's mannerisms exactly.
- The identification occurred appersonatively, without conscious intent.
American English
- She started speaking appersonatively, using her mentor's phrases.
- The fusion happened appersonatively during the psychotic break.
adjective
British English
- The appersonative symptoms were documented in the case notes.
- She displayed an appersonative identification with the historical figure.
American English
- The appersonative behavior was a focus of the clinical assessment.
- He experienced appersonative episodes during periods of stress.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used in business contexts.
Academic
Used in psychology/psychiatry papers discussing identity disorders.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Specialist term in clinical psychology and psychiatry.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “appersonation”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “appersonation”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “appersonation”
- Misspelling as 'appersonification'.
- Confusing with 'impersonation'.
- Using in non-clinical contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Impersonation is deliberate imitation for entertainment or deception, while appersonation is an involuntary psychological identification, often pathological.
Yes, it can be associated with conditions like schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, or certain delusional disorders.
No, it is an extremely rare, specialized term used almost exclusively in clinical psychology and psychiatry.
In British English: /əˌpɜː.sənˈeɪ.ʃən/. In American English: /əˌpɝː.sənˈeɪ.ʃən/. The stress is on the third syllable.
The act of identifying oneself with another person, often to the point of believing one has become that person.
Appersonation is usually technical / medical in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: APPersonation = A Person becoming Another Person.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDENTITY IS FLUID / SELF IS MERGABLE
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary field where 'appersonation' is used?