simulator

American  

[sim-yuh-ley-ter] / ˈsɪm yəˌleɪ tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that simulates.

2. a machine for simulating certain environmental and other conditions for purposes of training or experimentation.

   a flight simulator.

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simulator British  

/ ˈsɪmjʊˌleɪtə /

noun

1. any device or system that simulates specific conditions or the characteristics of a real process or machine for the purposes of research or operator training

   space simulator

2. a person who simulates

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Usage

What does simulator mean? A simulator is a program or machine that simulates a real-life situation, meaning that it creates a virtual version of it, often for the purpose of instruction or experiment, such as a flight simulator. Simulators are frequently used to train people in complicated and often dangerous tasks, such as performing surgery or flying an airplane. Simulators allow them to learn and gain experience in such tasks without the risks. Rarely, the word is also sometimes used to refer to a person who is simulating (faking) an action. Example: This flight simulator allows pilots to become comfortable with the controls without having to do so during an actual flight.

Etymology

Origin of simulator

First recorded in 1825–35, simulator is from the Latin word simulātor imitator, counterfeiter. See simulate, -tor

Explanation

A machine that creates the realistic sensation that you're operating a vehicle is a simulator. Pilots practice flying planes using simulators long before they take the controls of a jumbo jet. You can think of a simulator as a device that mimics or simulates an experience, usually making it feel so real that you'd swear you were driving a car or flying an airplane. Many simulators are used in training people to operate vehicles or machinery, while others help teach medical students how to perform surgery, inject medication, and insert breathing tubes. In Latin, simulator means "copier or feigner," from the root similis, "resembling."

Example Sentences

What has unfolded is precisely what was anticipated, and precisely what could not have been learned in a simulator.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Last week he took part in a TGL simulator indoor golf event and had talked about a possible return at the Masters.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

On Tuesday, he played at TGL, the funky hybrid of simulator play and live action golf, where he looked almost like his old self.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

He competed earlier this week in the TGL simulator indoor golf league finals and had not ruled out playing in next month's Masters.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

They put her in the high-fidelity driving simulator.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel