simulacrum
Americannoun
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simulacra
plural
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a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance.
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an effigy, image, or representation.
a simulacrum of Aphrodite.
noun
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any image or representation of something
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a slight, unreal, or vague semblance of something; superficial likeness
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of simulacrum
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin simulācrum “likeness, image,” equivalent to simulā(re) “to pretend, imitate” + -crum instrumental suffix; see origin at simulate
Explanation
A simulacrum is a fake version of something real. A wax museum is full of simulacrums of famous people. Simulacrum comes from the Latin word simulare meaning "to make like" and is related to words like simulate (to imitate) and similarity. A simulacrum might look like a person, but it's usually a sculpture. Also, a simulacrum can be a representation that's not very good. If you say, "This video game is only a simulacrum of playing football!" that means it does a poor job of copying the game.
Vocabulary lists containing simulacrum
Hidden Figures
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List 7
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An Ember in the Ashes
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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:
Fortunately, “The Visit” does speak clearly in Tresnjak’s production, beautifully arrayed on scenic designer Alexander Dodge’s inventive simulacrum of the town.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
While AI may be able to produce a simulacrum of human interiority, it will never be human.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
The risks would be far greater if the interactions were taking place outside of a clinical setting, or for “re-animation” technologies like griefbots, which offer a simulacrum of speaking to a deceased loved one.
From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2025
It’s as if they were taken over by a simulacrum, as in “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2024
The simulacrum now more whole than the original.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
But Rollins remained dismissive of the band, telling the New York Times decades later that he regarded the Stones’ music as a flimsy simulacra of work by Black artists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
She added, “We’ve reached a saturation point with retail simulacra: Everything is a copy of a copy, and even things that started in Copenhagen are now at Wayfair.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
Philosopher John Searle made a fairly convincing argument that mere simulacra of understanding language can exist without real comprehension.
From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2022
Improbably, Kor never displays impatience at having to repeat the simulacra so many times.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 15, 2022
We are transmitting same disturbed specimens to you under separate cover herewith, in neutralized and collapsed state, for the manufacture of simulacra thereof.
From The Day of the Boomer Dukes by Ed Emshwiller
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
