Meaning & use
simulacra
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“simulacra” is a form of “simulacrum”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Images or imitations of people or things that look like the original but lack its real substance or quality.
Grammar: Plural of simulacrum, so it takes a plural verb: the simulacra were convincing.
Patterns
- simulacra of something
The museum displayed wax simulacra of famous scientists.
The robots were crude simulacra of human beings.
Tourists wandered among simulacra of old European streets built in the desert.
nounpluraltechnical
In philosophy and cultural criticism, copies that have no original behind them, so that the image replaces reality.
Grammar: Often linked with theories of media and postmodern culture.
Patterns
- a world of simulacra
The critic argued that social media profiles are simulacra rather than real lives.
In his essay, theme parks are simulacra that hide the absence of any true original.
Some philosophers say we live among simulacra of experiences we never had.
Word forms
| singular | simulacrum |
|---|
Common combinations
- simulacra of life
- The robots were eerie simulacra of life.
- mere simulacra
- The stage props were mere simulacra of real furniture.
- digital simulacra
- Online avatars are digital simulacra of their owners.
- a world of simulacra
- The author portrays a world of simulacra where everything is staged.
- simulacra and reality
- The class discussed simulacra and reality in modern media.
Synonyms and how they differ
- imitations
- Imitations is the everyday word for things that copy something else, while simulacra suggests they are convincing yet hollow.
- replicas
- Replicas are exact, often admired copies, and they lack the critical or eerie tone that simulacra often carries.
- facsimiles
- Facsimiles are precise reproductions, usually of documents, and carry no suggestion of emptiness.
- semblances
- Semblances are outward appearances of something, so it is more abstract than the physical copies simulacra can name.
Opposites
Word family
- simulacrum noun
- a single image or imitation of something
- simulate verb
- to imitate or copy conditions or behavior
- simulation noun
- an imitation of a real process, often by computer
- simulator noun
- a machine that imitates real conditions for training
Commonly confused: simulacra or simulation?
simulacra vs simulation
A simulation imitates a process or situation for a purpose, such as flight training, while simulacra are lasting images or likenesses of things.
Practice
Which is the singular form of simulacra?
Choose one answer.
Simulacra is a Latin plural, and its singular is simulacrum. The other options are not accepted English forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “simulacra”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.