emulation
Americannoun
-
effort or desire to equal or excel others.
- Synonyms:
- competition, imitation
-
Obsolete. jealous rivalry.
noun
-
the act of emulating or imitating
-
the effort or desire to equal or surpass another or others
-
archaic jealous rivalry
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of emulation
First recorded in 1545–55, emulation is from the Latin word aemulātiōn- (stem of aemulātiō ). See emulate, -ion
Explanation
Emulation is the effort to act like someone else. Your emulation of your older brother on the tennis court might create a rivalry between you, as you become a better player. Emulation comes from the Latin aemulat- meaning "rivaled, equaled," but we usually use emulation in a non-competitive sense, like the emulation of a role model. Having a role model can be useful. Your emulation of that person can help keep you focused toward your goal. It's when that admiration turns into a competitive obsession that emulation becomes a problem. In computing, emulation is the technique used so one machine gets the same results as another.
Vocabulary lists containing emulation
Julius Caesar
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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
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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.
Keysight Technologies is a global leader in electronic design, emulation, and testing.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
In emulation, many rich economies—including the U.S.—have begun to implement industrial policies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
On the face of it, he is perhaps more a middle-class loner, and his apparent normality suggests a crime triggered by internalised mental processes, rather than by peer-driven association or emulation.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2025
I had become a deep reader of the genre in my 20s, and, as all writers are readers in emulation, I began to think about writing a hard-boiled fiction of my own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
He knew how to encourage other rabbits and to fill them with a spirit of emulation.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
