simulate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to create a simulation, likeness, or model of (a situation, system, or the like).
to simulate crisis conditions.
-
to make a pretense of; feign.
to simulate knowledge.
- Synonyms:
- counterfeit, pretend
-
to assume or have the appearance or characteristics of.
He simulated the manners of the rich.
- Synonyms:
- affect
adjective
verb
-
to make a pretence of; feign
to simulate anxiety
-
to reproduce the conditions of (a situation, etc), as in carrying out an experiment
to simulate weightlessness
-
to assume or have the appearance of; imitate
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonsimulateadjective
-
nonsimulativeadjective
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simulativeadjective
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simulatoryadjective
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unsimulatedadjective
-
unsimulatingadjective
-
unsimulativeadjective
-
well-simulatedadjective
-
simulativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
simulatesimple
-
simulatessimple
-
have simulatedperfect
-
has simulatedperfect
-
am simulatingprogressive
-
are simulatingprogressive
-
is simulatingprogressive
-
have been simulatingperfect progressive
-
has been simulatingperfect progressive
Past
-
simulatedsimple
-
had simulatedperfect
-
was simulatingprogressive
-
were simulatingprogressive
-
had been simulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of simulate
1400–50; late Middle English (adj.) < Latin simulātus (past participle of simulāre ), equivalent to simul- (variant of simil-, base of similis similar ) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
When you simulate something, you imitate it. Hollywood makeup artists can use pencils and gray wigs to simulate old age in a young actor. It can also mean to model — a computer can simulate disaster scenarios in cities. If you really admire someone's calm-under-pressure attitude, you may try to simulate their demeanor. When opening a present, it's polite to simulate surprise and excitement about the gift item, even if you already have it or it is ugly as dirt. Don't try to simulate your parents' signatures on excuse cards, though — signatures are unique to individuals and impossible to simulate perfectly.
Vocabulary lists containing simulate
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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.
Currently, Wyldfyre users can only simulate trading, but according to the site, the ability to bet with real money is “coming soon.”
From Slate • Jun. 30, 2026
Because we are creating synthetic stock—trader jargon for using options to mimic actual shares—let’s use expirations of six months and longer to simulate equity ownership.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
The team developed it using sophisticated models that simulate quantum dynamics, but experimental validation will still be required before researchers know whether it can reliably identify altermagnets.
From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026
Interlune has tested some of its equipment during parabolic flights, in which a plane flies in a big arc to simulate zero gravity.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
The point of a wind tunnel, of course, was to simulate as closely as possible the conditions that prevailed in free flight.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
