# simulation

Pronunciation: US say "sim-yuh-LAY-shuhn" /ˌsɪm.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/; UK say "sim-yuu-LAY-shuhn" /ˌsɪm.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/

## Noun

1. The act or process of imitating how a real system or process behaves, often to study, test, or train without the real thing.
   - Simple: The act of copying how something real works, so people can test or study it safely.
   - _Engineers rely on simulation to predict how a new aircraft will perform in flight._
   - _Climate researchers use simulation to model how the oceans respond to rising temperatures._
2. A model, program, or device that imitates a real system or environment in order to predict its actual behavior.
   - Simple: A model or program that copies a real system so people can predict what it will do.
   - _The engineers ran a simulation to predict how the dam would behave under flood conditions._
   - _A detailed simulation of the spacecraft's descent revealed several design flaws._
3. A video game built to give a more or less realistic experience of an activity such as a sport, flying, or warfare.
   - Simple: A video game that tries to copy a real activity, like flying a plane or playing a sport.
   - _The new racing simulation reproduces every curve of the famous track._
   - _Many players prefer a military simulation that rewards careful strategy over fast reflexes._
4. The act of putting on a false appearance, pretending to have feelings, qualities, or conditions that are not genuine.
   - Simple: The act of pretending to be or feel something that is not real.
   - _The patient's symptoms were dismissed as simulation by the skeptical examiner._
   - _His display of grief was mere simulation, calculated to deflect suspicion._
5. The act of deliberately falling over to deceive the referee into awarding a foul that has not actually been committed.
   - Simple: In soccer, falling down on purpose to trick the referee into calling a foul that did not happen.
   - _He was cautioned for simulation when he threw himself down in the penalty area._
   - _Video review has made it harder for players to get away with simulation._

## Origin

First attested around 1340 as Middle English "symulacioun," borrowed through Middle and Old French from Latin "simulātiōnem," from "simulō" ("to imitate"). It can also be analyzed as "simulate" plus the suffix "-ion."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/simulation (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).