emulate
Americanverb (used with object)
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emulates,
present (3rd person singular)
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emulated,
past participle, past
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emulating
present participle
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to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass.
to emulate one's father as a concert violinist.
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to rival with some degree of success.
Some smaller cities now emulate the major capitals in their cultural offerings.
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Computers.
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to imitate (a particular computer system) by using a software system, often including a microprogram or another computer that enables it to do the same work, run the same programs, etc., as the first.
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to replace (software) with hardware to perform the same task.
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adjective
verb
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to attempt to equal or surpass, esp by imitation
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to rival or compete with
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to make one computer behave like (another different type of computer) so that the imitating system can operate on the same data and execute the same programs as the imitated system
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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emulatornoun
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overemulateverb (used with object)
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emulativeadjective
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nonemulativeadjective
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unemulativeadjective
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emulativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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emulatesimple
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emulatessimple
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have emulatedperfect
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has emulatedperfect
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am emulatingprogressive
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are emulatingprogressive
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is emulatingprogressive
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have been emulatingperfect progressive
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has been emulatingperfect progressive
Past
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emulatedsimple
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had emulatedperfect
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was emulatingprogressive
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were emulatingprogressive
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had been emulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of emulate
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin aemulātus, past participle of aemulārī “to rival”; see emulous, -ate 1
Explanation
When you emulate someone, you imitate them, especially with the idea of matching their success. When someone is impressive because of their great skills, brains, strength, or accomplishments, others will emulate them. To emulate is to imitate and model yourself after someone. People emulate role models — people they want to be like. After Michael Jordan retired from the NBA, player after player tried to emulate Jordan's game and success. It's hard to be as good as someone like that, but having a hero to emulate can be helpful in many areas of life.
Vocabulary lists containing emulate
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"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)
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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.
See Examples For:
The European Union has in parallel been mulling a ban on social media access for young people in response to a push by several member states to emulate Australia's example on the matter.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
They are getting headlines for the wrong reasons and setting bad examples for the young women in middle school and high school who emulate them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Hunt, undeniably the star of these championships as she seeks to capture an "iconic" four golds, will ultimately hope to emulate Asher-Smith and translate continental dominance to global success in the coming years.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Artificial intelligence offers opportunities to emulate evolution’s creative power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
He loved his brother's reckless wrath, but it was their lord father he must try and emulate.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
SafeMind has two models: Red Tempest, which is an “offensive” model that emulates AI adversaries, and Blue Solano, which is a “defensive” model designed to fix identified issues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Artificial photosynthesis, which emulates this natural process of photosynthesis, uses sunlight to produce valuable resources, such as hydrogen, and it has garnered attention as a sustainable energy solution.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024
The panel will have a broad remit to examine working practices as well as standards, and emulates a similar committee set up by Tony Blair's Labour government in the wake of its 1997 election win.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2024
In “Digging Stars,” the protagonist is an astronomer from Zimbabwe who emulates her father’s profession.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
In addition, he is continually amazed by how much Maxine emulates her parents, how much she respects their tastes and their ways.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck examine Greenspan’s legacy and the way it’s being emulated by the Fed’s current chair, Kevin Warsh.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
Wessel Nijman emulated fellow Dutchman Michael van Gerwen as he continued his superb form in the Players Championship with victory in the 14th tournament of the year.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
Using an emulated target trial approach, which relies on existing healthcare data rather than traditional clinical trials, the researchers were able to assess outcomes more quickly and efficiently.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 14, 2026
P&G emulated that approach by asking viewers to pay up to $9.99 to see the entire “Golden Pear Affair,” though they can also unlock future episodes by watching promotional content.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
Boys everywhere called themselves Ali, and emulated his “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” routines.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Rai emulating Jim Barnes in 1919 proves Fleetwood correct, these longstanding records and anomalies can be broken.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
But issues arose when emulating the blue and brown colors, which both require large amounts of Blue No. 1.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
So far, Warsh is emulating the first Greenspan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Chairman Warsh is emulating Greenspan’s early, inscrutable communication style.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
I began working even harder at my game because a few youngsters in Alexandra saw me as someone worth emulating.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
