Meaning & use

emulate

verb·Academic

To try to match or surpass someone by imitating their admired behavior or achievements.

See it in a sentence

Young athletes often emulate the training habits of the champions they admire most.

The startup tried to emulate the efficient, low-cost culture of larger tech firms.

A note on using this word

Unlike plain copying, 'emulate' implies aspiring to equal or exceed a model one respects.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

(computing) To reproduce the functions of one system using different hardware or software.

The app lets users emulate an old video game console on a modern phone.

Make it your own

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