emulate

verb

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em·u·late | \ ˈem-yə-ˌlāt

, -yü- \

emulated; emulating

Definition of emulate

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to strive to equal or excel

b : imitate especially : to imitate by means of an emulator

2 : to equal or approach equality with

emulate

adjective

em·u·late | \ ˈem-yə-lət

Definition of emulate (Entry 2 of 2)

obsolete

: emulous sense 1b pricked on by a most emulate pride— William Shakespeare

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about emulate

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Did You Know?

Verb

If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, to paraphrase Charles C. Colton (circa 1780-1832), then past speakers of English clearly had a great admiration for the Latin language. The verb emulate joined the ranks of Latin-derived English terms in 1582. It comes from aemulus, a Latin term for rivaling or envious. Two related adjectives - emulate and emulous - appeared around the same time as the verb emulate. Both mean striving to emulate or sometimes jealous, but emulous is rare these days, and the adjective emulate is obsolete. The latter did have a brief moment of glory, however, when Shakespeare used it in Hamlet:

"Our last king,
Whose image even but now appear'd to us,
Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,
Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate pride,
Dar'd to the combat. . . ."

Examples of emulate in a Sentence

Verb If you are talking to someone younger, do not condescend. If you are talking to someone older, back up feelings with facts and never be in such a rush to make your point that you forget the art of listening. And please, no one try to emulate the histrionic, discursive style of any talking heads you see on television. — William Norwich, Vogue, 9 Sept. 2008 Although some schools are postponing new projects because of the faltering economy, others are forging ahead with plans to emulate freshman programs that have long existed at some of the nation's oldest colleges. — Jeninne Lee-St. John, Time, 27 Oct. 2008 I started out emulating Chandler in that first book, maybe the first book and a half, because I was in my novitiate, and whenever I wasn't clear on what to do I would actively think about Chandler and what Marlow would have done. — Robert B. Parker et al., Colloquium on Crime, 1986 She grew up emulating her sports heroes. artists emulating the style of their teachers

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The artist, who is of Kenyan and Trinidadian heritage, does not emulate Artemisia’s romantic-realistic style. — Washington Post, "In the galleries: Building on an artwork expressed via different media," 23 Apr. 2021 Carol Robinson: She was obsessed with Marilyn Monroe and … was trying to emulate her in every way. — Correspondent Maureen Maher, CBS News, "Did Kat West's online life play a role in her mysterious death?," 10 Apr. 2021 In an attempt to overcome these feelings of helplessness, some individuals seem to resort to relentless competitiveness that often leads to their own burnout and the burnout of others who try to emulate them. — Gjoko Muratovski, Forbes, "Are You An Overachiever? Consider Redefining Your Idea Of Success," 4 Mar. 2021 Aggressive front fenders emulate the windswept look of dust billowing off the top of the tires at high speed. — Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, "Top designer of Ford F-150 Raptor gets ideas from fighter jets, Hollywood," 3 Feb. 2021 Rather than adequately buttressing his base, Trump emulated, and continues to emulate, the boy who cried wolf. — Fortune, "Trump focused too much on fraud—and it might have cost him the election," 23 Dec. 2020 This is the tradition that the Biden antitrust division should emulate. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Biden could remake American society by reviving antitrust enforcement," 9 Apr. 2021 His honesty and transparency is something more founders and brands should emulate. — Cathy Hackl, Forbes, "Genies CEO Reveals His Mental Health Struggles With Depression And How Digital Avatars Are Helping Him," 6 Apr. 2021 These days, it’s Godine who quickly is becoming a player to emulate in the ultracompetitive Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference. — Rich Scherr, baltimoresun.com, "McDonogh’s Caroline Godine doesn’t just ‘fiddle’ with lacrosse. She’s all business on the field and in the classroom.," 26 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.