emulation

noun

em·​u·​la·​tion ˌem-yə-ˈlā-shən 

-yü-

1

: ambition or endeavor to equal or excel others (as in achievement)

2

a

: imitation

b

: the use of or technique of using an emulator

3

obsolete : ambitious or envious rivalry

emulative

ˈem-yə-ˌlā-tiv 

adjective

emulatively adverb

Examples of emulation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If a mental image only impedes the human’s process of emulation, why should her mindedness make Celmins’s web less natural than the spider’s? —Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025

Apple claims that the new Apple Sparse Image Format (ASIF) supports quicker disk reads and writes than existing formats, which should result in faster emulation of Windows systems on a Mac. —Edward Mendelson, PC Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

This is also referred to as whole brain emulation (WBE). —Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Once those Mega-LD discs were finally ripped successfully, Nemesis said getting the actual emulation working was surprisingly pain-free. —Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin aemulātiōn-, aemulātiō, from aemulārī "to vie with, rival, imitate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at emulate entry 1

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for emulation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

emulation

noun

em·​u·​la·​tion ˌem-yə-ˈlā-shən 

: the ambition or effort to emulate

emulative

ˈem-yə-ˌlāt-iv 

adjective