Copycats

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who replicate the behaviors or practices of others in a variety of situations
2. Groups or individuals that follow or adopt the trends and actions established by others to achieve similar results
3. Those who closely follow and reproduce the actions or ideas of someone else without original input

Etymology: "Copycats" is the plural of "copycat," a word that began in American English and combines two older words. The first, "copy," comes from Middle English and carries its familiar sense of imitating something. The second, "cat," is the animal, which has a long history in English stretching back to Old English "catt," and ultimately to Proto-Germanic roots. The pairing gives the sense of an imitator who behaves like a cat, though the exact reasoning behind the combination is less certain than the parts themselves. Its earlier meaning is the more surprising part. "Cat" was once a former derogatory term for a person, so the compound began with a rather insulting flavour before the word settled into the milder, playful sense it carries today: anyone who follows another's lead, whether in fashion, business, or public behaviour.

Synonyms: imitators, mimickers

Antonyms: innovators