William Shakespeare
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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
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
Scott Neuman, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025
Jordan’s dual roles emulate the Rodriquez siblings who were played by George Clooney and Tarantino himself, but with no sense of parody.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Apr. 2025
McMillan could emulate what Herbert did with Keenan Allen, someone who has good technical route-running with the ability to make tough catches and break open a game.
—Fox News Staff, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Just the 418 to go for Mbappe, then… although Ancelotti believes the Frenchman could emulate his childhood idol.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emulate
Cite this Entry
“Emulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emulate. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
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