simulate

S1I1M3U1L1A1T1E1
UK/ˈsɪm.jʊˌleɪt/Canada, US/ˈsɪm.jəˌleɪt/Australia/ˈsɪm.jʊˌlæɪt/UK/ˈsɪm.jʊ.lɪt/

verb

To model, replicate, duplicate the behavior, appearance or properties of.

“This video game simulates a pinball machine.”

Similar
imitatecopymodelassumeshamfeign
OriginLatin simulātus →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

simulate1

verbsimulate (third-person singular simple present simulates, present participle simulating, simple past and past participle simulated)

present singular third person simulates · participle present simulating · participle past simulated · past simulated

  1. To model, replicate, duplicate the behavior, appearance or properties of.

    This video game simulates a pinball machine.

    1 more example

    We will use a smoke machine to simulate the fog you will actually encounter.

simulate2

adjectivesimulate (comparative more simulate, superlative most simulate)

comparative more simulate · superlative most simulate

  1. obsoleteFeigned; pretended.

    under simulate religion

    1545, John Bale, The Image of Both Churches

Synonyms & antonyms

verbreproduce someone's behavior or looks

Similar
imitatecopy
Broader
reproduce

verbcreate a representation or simulation of

Similar
model
Broader
re-createrecreate

verbmake a pretence of

Similar
assumeshamfeign
Broader
dissemblepretendact
Also see
affectassumecopyfeignimitatemodelsham

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

simulate · verb

  1. Latinsimulātus
  2. Englishsimulate

First attested in 1652; Borrowed from Latin simulātus, perfect passive participle of simulō (“make like, imitate, copy, represent, feign”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from similis (“like”). See similar.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

simulate · adjective

  1. Latinsimulātus
  2. Middle Englishsymulat(e), simulat(e), similat(e)“feigned; similar”
  3. Englishsimulate

First attested in c. 1425, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English symulat(e), simulat(e), similat(e) (“feigned; similar”), borrowed from Latin simulātus, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

More words from Middle English, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic قَلَّدَ
  • قَلَّدَ (qallada)to model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Bulgarian симулирам
  • симулирам (simuliram)to model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Catalan simular
  • simularto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Chinese Mandarin 模拟
  • 模拟 (mónǐ)to model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Czech simulovat, napodobovat
  • simulovatto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
  • napodobovatto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Danish simulere
  • simulereto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Esperanto simuli
  • simulito model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Finnish simuloida
  • simuloidato model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
French simuler
  • simulerto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
German simulieren, nachahmen
  • simulierento model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
  • nachahmento model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Hungarian szimulál
  • szimulálto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Indonesian menirukan, menyimulasikan
  • menirukanto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
  • menyimulasikanto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Japanese シミュレートする
  • シミュレートする (shimyurēto-suru)to model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Latin simulo, similo
  • simuloto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
  • similoto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
  • simis sumto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
  • accedoto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Malay mensimulasikan
  • mensimulasikanto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Māori whakatau
  • whakatauto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Polish symulować
  • symulowaćto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Portuguese simular
  • simularto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Romanian simula
  • simulato model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Russian симули́ровать
  • симули́ровать (simulírovatʹ)to model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Spanish simular
  • simularto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Swedish simulera
  • simulerato model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Tagalog ipagpanggap, ipagkunwari
  • ipagpanggapto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
  • ipagkunwarito model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
  • ipagkunwato model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Turkish simule etmek, benzetmek
  • simule etmek, benzetmekto model, replicate, duplicate the behavior
Ukrainian симулюва́ти
  • симулюва́ти (symuljuváty)to model, replicate, duplicate the behavior

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

sultiame
Cite this entry
APA

simulate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simulate

MLA

“simulate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simulate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “simulate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simulate.

Source: simulate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.