emulate

1 of 2

verb

em·​u·​late ˈem-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce emulate (audio)
-yü-
emulated; emulating

transitive verb

1
a
: to strive to equal or excel
b
: imitate
especially : to imitate by means of an emulator
2
: to equal or approach equality with

emulate

2 of 2

adjective

em·​u·​late ˈem-yə-lət How to pronounce emulate (audio)
obsolete
: emulous sense 1b
pricked on by a most emulate prideWilliam Shakespeare

Did you know?

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but we’ll posit that emulation is even more so. What’s the difference between imitating and emulating? Sometimes not a thing: emulate can be used as a synonym of imitate, as in “a painter who emulates her teacher’s style.” But more often, emulate is about trying to equal or surpass someone you admire by striving to master what they’ve accomplished. The word was adopted in the late 16th century from a form of the Latin word aemulārī, meaning “to vie with; to rival; to imitate.” Imitate was adopted about fifty years earlier from a form of the Latin word imitārī, meaning “to follow as a pattern; to copy.” Emulate emulated its success.

Examples of emulate in a Sentence

Verb If you are talking to someone younger, do not condescend. If you are talking to someone older, back up feelings with facts and never be in such a rush to make your point that you forget the art of listening. And please, no one try to emulate the histrionic, discursive style of any talking heads you see on television. William Norwich, Vogue, 9 Sept. 2008
Although some schools are postponing new projects because of the faltering economy, others are forging ahead with plans to emulate freshman programs that have long existed at some of the nation's oldest colleges. Jeninne Lee-St. John, Time, 27 Oct. 2008
I started out emulating Chandler in that first book, maybe the first book and a half, because I was in my novitiate, and whenever I wasn't clear on what to do I would actively think about Chandler and what Marlow would have done. Robert B. Parker et al., Colloquium on Crime, 1986
She grew up emulating her sports heroes. artists emulating the style of their teachers
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Bona will try to emulate Clark one more time as one of 15 candidates for the Naismith Trophy Defensive Player of the Year — the same award Clark won last year on his way to the NBA. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Grande wowed in pale pink custom Giambattista Valli Haute Couture, with poofy sleeves that seemed to emulate Glinda's signature looks. Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The Sharks would love nothing more than to see players like Bordeleau, William Eklund, and Fabian Zetterlund emulate some of Granlund’s habits. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 In the past South African films often tried to emulate Hollywood and always ended up looking like its poor cousins. Thinus Ferreira, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 In pushing his lawyers to be more aggressive, Mr. Trump may be searching for someone to emulate his earliest lawyer and fixer, Roy M. Cohn, an unscrupulous defender against whom Mr. Trump has measured other lawyers for decades. Ben Protess, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Canadian pension funds have been among the world’s most prolific buyers of real estate, starting a revolution that inspired retirement plans around the globe to emulate them. Ari Altstedter, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 What: Fallon asked the BTS crew to emulate movements by characters from Fortnite. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 Big Love Refreshing and light, Cointreau’s Big Love cocktail uses beet juice and lemon to emulate somewhat of a healthy juice. Jillian Dara, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin aemulātus, past participle of aemulārī "to vie with, rival, imitate," derivative of aemulus "rivaling, emulous"

Adjective

borrowed from Latin aemulātus — more at emulate entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1602, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emulate was in 1582

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near emulate

Cite this Entry

“Emulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emulate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

emulate

verb
em·​u·​late
ˈem-yə-ˌlāt
emulated; emulating
: to try to be like or better than
emulator
-ˌlāt-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on emulate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!