simulated

British  

/ ˈsɪmjʊˌleɪtɪd /

adjective

1. (of fur, leather, pearls, etc) being an imitation of the genuine article, usually made from cheaper material

2. (of actions, qualities, emotions, etc) imitated; feigned

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Explanation

A simulated thing pretends to be something it’s not, like a fire drill with fake smoke. Relax, it’s only a simulated emergency, created to feel exactly like the real thing. Simulated and similar have the same Latin root (similis), and a simulated situation is similar to the original, like a theme park that feels like India when you’re actually in Florida. Emotions can be simulated too, like your simulated sadness when you just want to get out of trouble. The word implies fakeness, but not always in a bad way. A simulated airflight video game can teach you how to fly without the negative side effects of crashing and dying.

Example Sentences

Henry’s simulated baseball, which relies on dice and charts, will sound vaguely familiar to anyone who has played Strat-O-Matic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

He got his patients to wear elastic bands - which simulated resistance - while doing a series of exercises that would strengthen their core.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The researchers examined around 20,000 simulated galaxies and identified one that closely matched NGC 1365.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

Per Roberts, Ohtani threw four innings in a simulated game while with Team Japan last Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Mastery of the Reynolds number, and using that knowledge to build wind tunnels that successfully simulated real-world conditions, was the key to the NACAs success.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly