emulation

IPA/ˌemjuˈleɪʃn/
KK[ˌɛmjəlˈeʃən]IPA/ˌemjuˈleɪʃn/

emulation — noun

  • emulationsingular
  • emulationsplural

1. the act of modelling your own efforts on those of someone you respect, aiming to

1.nounB2
Definition

the act of modelling your own efforts on those of someone you respect, aiming to reach their level of success or skill.

Example

Walid trained in emulation of the Olympic runner he had admired since childhood.

The young pianist played a sonata in emulation of her favourite performer's delicate style.

in emulation of [person's style] — copying a role model

Common collocations
  • in emulation of
  • friendly emulation
  • healthy emulation
  • emulation of [someone]
Synonyms
  • imitation

    closer to simple copying, may lack the admiration and ambition that emulation carries

  • competition

    broader — competition can be hostile or neutral; emulation is specific to learning from a model

  • rivalry

    implies a more adversarial relationship; emulation is often cooperative or admiring

Antonyms
  • originality

    creating something new rather than following a model

  • uniqueness

    being one of a kind rather than aiming to match another

Grammar Patterns

in emulation of [someone/something]

emulation of [someone/something]

Usage Note

Often used in the phrase 'in emulation of' to name the person or group being copied with admiration.

Common Mistakes

She wore the same dress in emulation of her friend.
She wore the same dress to copy her friend.
Emulation involves effort and admiration, not just surface copying of appearance.
The child's emulation of the teacher was cheeky.
The child's imitation of the teacher was cheeky.
Emulation implies respect and a goal to match achievement, not mocking.

2. the process of making one computer system or program behave exactly like another

2.nounC1
Definition

the process of making one computer system or program behave exactly like another, so that software written for the second can run on the first.

Example

This free app allows emulation of classic arcade games on a modern tablet.

emulation of [old games] on [modern devices]

Emulation of the old mainframe system saved the company from buying expensive new hardware.

Common collocations
  • hardware emulation
  • software emulation
  • console emulation
  • emulation software
  • emulation mode
Synonyms
  • simulation

    models the external behaviour of a system without exact internal replication — less precise than emulation

Antonyms
  • native execution

    running software on the original system it was designed for, without any translation layer

Grammar Patterns

emulation of [system/software]

[system] emulation

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'simulation': emulation reproduces behaviour exactly so that the original software runs unchanged, while simulation models behaviour approximately. Emulation is common in retro gaming and legacy system maintenance.

Common Mistakes

He used emulation to model the weather.
He used simulation to model the weather.
Emulation reproduces exact system behaviour; simulation models approximate behaviour for research.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Emulation, imitation, competition, and rivalry all involve responding to what others do, but they differ in purpose and tone. Emulation is the most admiring and goal-oriented of the four: you copy someone's methods because you respect their success and want to match it. Imitation can be mindless or mocking — a child imitating a parent's voice is not necessarily trying to equal them. Competition is broader and more neutral: two businesses can compete without one copying the other. Rivalry adds a sharper edge of personal opposition. For example, a young chef who learns a master's techniques in emulation of their skill is showing respect; the same chef in rivalry with a peer is trying to defeat them.

imitation ↗competition ↗rivalry ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin aemulatio ('rivalry, jealous competition'), based on aemulus ('striving to equal or surpass'). The meaning shifted in English from 'ambitious rivalry' to the more neutral 'copying with admiration'. The computing sense appeared in the 1960s as engineers built systems that could run software designed for different machines.