In the title compound, C₂₂H₂₂N₂O₃, the plane of the five-membered ring is oriented at dihedral angles of 45.4 (1) and 52.5 (1)° to the phenyl rings. Furthermore, this ring makes an angle of 85.2 (2)° with the plane of the ethyl acetate substituent. The molecular structure is affected by an intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond between an H atom from thep-tolyl group and the carbonyl O atom of the acetate. The methyl group of the ethyl acetate residue is disordered over two sites with equal occupancies. The crystal structure features intermolecular C—H...O and C—H...N interactions. One of the C—H...O hydrogen bonds forms aC(5) chain motif extending along theaaxis. In addition, C—H...N contacts form inversion dimers withR₂²(12) ring motifs, linking the imidazole ring system to the benzene ring of thep-tolyl substituent.