ˈkaʊn.tɚˌfɪt ɪˈkəʊɪk ˌɒnəmætəˈpiːɪk not genuine; imitating something superior counterfeit emotion counterfeit money counterfeit works of art a counterfeit prince marked by or given to imitation acting is an imitative art man is an imitative being (of words) formed in imitation of a natural sound onomatopoeic words are imitative of noises it was independently developed in more than one place as an onomatopoetic term