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.
Synonyms
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
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Start to emulate a slow swimming motion by raising your right arm and left leg and then your left arm and right leg.
—Leoni Jesner, Health, 4 Nov. 2024
Kendall Jenner followed suit in 2023, emulating the blonde bombshell in her iconic 1953 Life photoshoot for Halloween.
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Christina Aguilera as Cher
In 2023, Christina Aguilera paid homage to Cher by dressing as her Burlesque (2010) costar's character, Tess Scali.
—Diana Pearl, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Denning sang the demo that day and played a languid guitar solo, emulating Vince Gill’s melodic style.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for emulate 
Dictionary Entries Near emulate
Cite this Entry
“Emulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emulate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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