Standard Lemma guide

emulation

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɛm.jʊˈleɪ̯.ʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌɛm.juˈleɪ̯.ʃən/
  • General-American: /-ʃɪn/
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • rhymes with -eɪʃɪn
  • CMU ARPABET: EH2 M Y AH0 L EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The endeavor or desire to equal or excel someone else in qualities or actions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • a great figure who is worthy of respect and emulation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Jealous rivalry; envy; envious contention.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Execution of a program or other software designed for a different system, by simulating parts of the other system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

effort to equal or surpass another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: imitation

5

noun

Meaning 5

(computer science) technique of one machine obtaining the same results as another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: technique

Narrower terms: terminal emulation

6

noun

Meaning 6

ambition to equal or excel

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ambition, aspiration, dream

History

Etymology

From Middle French émulation, from Latin aemulātiō.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 效法 (xiàofǎ) — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Finnish: jäljittely — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Manx: co-eiyrt — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Manx: eiyrt — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Polish: imitowanie — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Polish: naśladownictwo — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Russian: соперничество (soperničestvo) — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Russian: конкуренция (konkurencija) — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Swedish: efterföljd — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Tagalog: amban — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Tagalog: pag-amban — endeavour or desire to equal or excel
  • Chinese Mandarin: 嫉妒 (jídù) — jealous rivalry
  • Chinese Mandarin: 妒忌 (dùjì) — jealous rivalry
  • Polish: emulacja — jealous rivalry
  • Chinese Mandarin: 模擬 /模拟 (mónǐ) — software
  • Chinese Mandarin: 仿真 (fǎngzhēn) — software
  • Czech: emulace — software
  • Finnish: emulointi — software
  • French: émulation — software
  • German: Emulation — software
  • Greek: εξομοίωση (exomoíosi) — software
  • Greek: προσομοίωση (prosomoíosi) — software
  • Hawaiian: hoa māhuʻi — software
  • Malay: lagak — software
  • Malay: pelagakan — software
  • Polish: emulacja — software
  • Russian: эмуляция (emuljacija) — software
  • Swedish: emulering — software
  • Turkish: öykünüm — software