simulated
Britishadjective
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(of fur, leather, pearls, etc) being an imitation of the genuine article, usually made from cheaper material
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(of actions, qualities, emotions, etc) imitated; feigned
Explanation
A simulated thing pretends to be something it’s not, like a fire drill with fake smoke. Relax, it’s only a simulated emergency, created to feel exactly like the real thing. Simulated and similar have the same Latin root (similis), and a simulated situation is similar to the original, like a theme park that feels like India when you’re actually in Florida. Emotions can be simulated too, like your simulated sadness when you just want to get out of trouble. The word implies fakeness, but not always in a bad way. A simulated airflight video game can teach you how to fly without the negative side effects of crashing and dying.
Vocabulary lists containing simulated
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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"How the Brain Reacts"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 31–February 6, 2026
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The simulated gas moved and condensed in ways that closely resembled the observed system.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
To better understand this process, the researchers simulated asteroid impacts spanning a range of sizes and speeds.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
Presumably that involves true augmented reality, which anchors simulated objects in our 3-D space.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
The video ends with a simulated launch of the shuttle — complete with fog machines — before the walls retract, letting visitors take in the Endeavour in all its massive glory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
After school, alone in her simulated classroom, she would talk like them, dress like them, and assign herself homework she would never complete.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
