emulate

[ verb em-yuh-leyt; adjective em-yuh-lit ]

verb (used with object)

, em·u·lat·ed, em·u·lat·ing.

1. to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass:

   to emulate one's father as a concert violinist.

   Synonyms: copy, follow

2. to rival with some degree of success:

   Some smaller cities now emulate the major capitals in their cultural offerings.

3. Computers.
   1. to imitate (a particular computer system) by using a software system, often including a microprogram or another computer that enables it to do the same work, run the same programs, etc., as the first.
   2. to replace (software) with hardware to perform the same task.

adjective

1. Obsolete. emulous.

emulate

/ ˈɛmjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. to attempt to equal or surpass, esp by imitation
2. to rival or compete with
3. to make one computer behave like (another different type of computer) so that the imitating system can operate on the same data and execute the same programs as the imitated system

Derived Forms

• ˈemuˌlator, noun
• ˈemulatively, adverb
• ˈemulative, adjective

Other Words From

• em·u·la·tive adjective
• em·u·la·tive·ly adverb
• em·u·la·tor noun
• non·em·u·la·tive adjective
• o·ver·em·u·late verb (used with object) overemulated overemulating
• un·em·u·la·tive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of emulate¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin aemulātus, past participle of aemulārī “to rival”; emulous, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of emulate¹

C16: from Latin aemulārī, from aemulus competing with; probably related to imitārī to imitate

Example Sentences

Mayer said they wanted to emulate the success of the UK Independence Party who had managed to change the Conservative Party's stance on the European Union by winning votes in their traditional heartlands at elections.

From BBC

There is also some intriguing early evidence that employees might learn from and emulate a leader's bad behavior more than they replicate their good behavior.

From Science Daily

About halfway through the show, the stage lighting emulated a starry night sky as a tribute to the Latin music pioneers who have passed.

From Los Angeles Times

He watched as the whole of Hawaii seemed to galvanize around them and boys emulated them, promising their friends they would be the next Marcus or Tua someday.

From Los Angeles Times

“They’re so often emulating the things we wish we had in ourselves,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• follow suit
• imitate
• mimic
• mirror