Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EMULATE

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explore the archives: Here's a problem: When we know a plain word like imitate, then we learn a fancy synonym for it like emulate, we go nuts and use the fancy one all the time with no regard for the fine difference between the two. It's not good! Let's clarify that fine difference. To imitate someone is to copy what he does (for any reason, including to make fun of him). And to emulate someone is to copy what he does because you want to be just as good as he is. Likewise, even though timid and timorous are synonyms, there's no need to nix timid altogether in favor of timorous. Can you recall the fine difference? That is, in what situations would timorous be more appropriate than timid, and vice versa?  make your point with... "EMULATE" To emulate people or things is to try hard to be very similar to them because you believe they're very good. Pronunciation: EM you late Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you emulate something or someone.) Other forms: emulated, emulating, emulation How to use it: You can emulate a person; emulate a group of people or a society; emulate someone's behavior, speech, or way of doing things; emulate someone's style, talent, or success; emulate a product or process; or emulate an ideal, a philosophy, or someone's wisdom. Although it's usually individual people who emulate others, we can also talk about groups of people who emulate others: one company or organization emulates another, one sports team emulates another, one state or government emulates another, etc. When you emulate someone, it's usually because you admire and respect that person: "I learned so much from Mr. Sisson, my history teacher, and I tried to emulate his way of thinking about the past." However, you can also discuss the emulation of bad behavior: "Kids are hearing these horribly offensive comments in the news--and maybe emulating them at home." examples: With their jouncy, upbeat melodies and nasal vocals, Chris's band clearly emulated Blink-182. I enjoy Gertrude Stein's bizarre writing style, admire it for its creativity, and still have no desire to emulate it. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "emulate" means when you can explain it without saying "strive to be as good as" or "imitate out of admiration." try it out: Think of a real or fictional person who's widely admired. Fill in the blanks: "(Person's) (specific excellent quality) is worthy of emulation." Example: "Dr. King's nonviolent approach to effecting social change is worthy of emulation." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with KWIKORD, an addictive, challenging new word game for solo or group play, created by Wayne Ellice.  We're dipping our toes into the game this month, trying some simple challenges first and working our way toward harder tasks. (Check out my interview with the game's creator here, and order your own copy of the full version of KWIKORD here.) You'll see a sample answer to each puzzle the following day. Enjoy! Yesterday, you took the letters RTVAEI and arranged them into words that fill the perimeter of a 3x3 grid. Many solutions were possible. Here are two: Try this again today with the letters WMVAIO. Draw a tic-tac-toe board on some scrap paper and go for it! review today's word: 1. The opposite of EMULATE is A. TRAMPLE B. RENOUNCE C. MIMIC 2. Why have colleges often asked about _____ in their admissions essay prompts? I figure it's because teenagers lack life experience, but we can learn about the people they'll become by finding out who they emulate. A. friends B. ancestors C. heroes Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C