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
- nonsimulate adjective
- nonsimulative adjective
- simulative adjective
- simulatively adverb
- simulatory adjective
- unsimulated adjective
- unsimulating adjective
- unsimulative adjective
- well-simulated adjective
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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The Bluest Eye
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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.
These accounts simulate trading rather than using real money, and are offered by brokerages including Greenlight, E*Trade and Webull.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
To simulate inflammation, the researchers exposed murine macrophages to lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial component often used in laboratory experiments.
From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026
"We are able to simulate any regulatory requirements here," said Hoelter.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
To simulate microgravity, researchers used a 3D clinostat machine developed by Dr. Giles Kirby at Firefly Biotech.
From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026
They found it very difficult to simulate an interrogation for me.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
