simulation

noun sim·u·la·tion \ ˌsim-yə-ˈlā-shən \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: simulation in a Sentence

Definition of simulation

1 : the act or process of simulating

2 : a sham object : counterfeit

3 a : the imitative representation of the functioning of one system or process by means of the functioning of another

a computer simulation of an industrial process

b : examination of a problem often not subject to direct experimentation by means of a simulating device

See simulation defined for English-language learners

See simulation defined for kids

Examples of simulation in a Sentence

a computer simulation of spaceflight
a simulation of the planet's surface
They use computer simulation to predict weather conditions.

Recent Examples of simulation from the Web

Barriga, 17, and Akbar, 14, learned the skill for the first time Tuesday in the medical simulation lab on the fifth floor of Texas Woman’s University’s (TWU) Houston campus.

— alex park, Houston Chronicle, "Youths explore medicine at Global Teen Medical Summit," 13 July 2018
Those simulations have not yet been conducted, Magney said.

— patrick marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Russians attempted to break into Wisconsin voter registration system, but state not mentioned in indictment," 13 July 2018
Powering all of that is Isaac Sim, a simulation environment that developers can use to train robots and perform tests with Jetson Xavier.

— andy patrizio, Ars Technica, "The AI revolution has spawned a new chips arms race," 9 July 2018
To help spread awareness about the dangerous effects that fatigue can have on drivers, Short is travelling to a few cities this summer conducting drowsy driving simulations.

— NBC News, "How to tell if you're too tired to drive — and what to do if you are," 8 July 2018
While the threat simulation hypothesis can be interpreted to support the tweet that started this whole thing, Robb tells me there’s also evidence to suggest it’s not totally accurate.

— katie heaney, The Cut, "Why Don’t We Dream About Our Smartphones?," 5 July 2018
These days simulations on screens have replaced such models, sacrificing some of their tactile value while gaining the ability to show movement.

— veronique greenwood, New York Times, "It’s Time for a Chemistry Lesson. Put on Your Virtual Reality Goggles.," 3 July 2018
Some scientific simulation methods rely on random numbers, and clinicians could use them in drug trials to fairly assign who gets a treatment or placebo.

— sophia chen, Science | AAAS, "Why are countries creating public random number generators?," 28 June 2018
In fairness to Wall Street, simulations that were run in the academic world also saw Germany as a favorite to win or at least reach the finals.

— kevin kelleher, Fortune, "UBS, Commerzbank Models Predicted Germany Would Win the World Cup. Why Predicting Sports Is Bad Business," 27 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of simulation

Middle English simulacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin simulation-, simulatio, from simulare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Computer-Related Terms

adware, flash, kludge, phishing, recursive, router

SIMULATION Defined for English Language Learners

simulation

noun

Definition of simulation for English Language Learners

: something that is made to look, feel, or behave like something else especially so that it can be studied or used to train people

Law Dictionary

simulation

noun sim·u·la·tion \ ˌsim-yə-ˈlā-shən \

legal Definition of simulation

in the civil law of Louisiana

1 : the act of simulating

2 : a contract that by mutual agreement does not express the true intent of the parties — see also counterletter — compare disguised donation at donation

Note: Although a simulation does not have effect as between the parties, its lack of effect may not be asserted against third parties, such as creditors or bona fide purchasers, to avoid liability.