What does emulator mean?
An emulator is either a person or a device that emulates — meaning it imitates or strives to match the qualities of something else. In contemporary usage, the term is dominated by its computing sense: an emulator is software or hardware that allows one system to behave like another, so that programs built for one machine can run on a different machine. Classic examples include video game emulators that let old console games run on modern computers, terminal emulators that reproduce the look and function of physical terminals on screen, and hardware emulators used by engineers to test designs before manufacturing. A related but distinct term, 'simulator,' models only the external behavior of a system rather than replicating it internally. In its older, more literary sense, an emulator is a person who admires and imitates another, hoping to rival or exceed their accomplishments. The word derives ultimately from the Latin 'aeumulari,' meaning to strive to equal or rival, which also gives us the verbs 'emulate' and 'simulate.'
A program or device that enables one computer system to behave like another.
"She downloaded a SNES emulator to replay her childhood favorites."
This is now the dominant sense of the word.
A person who emulates or imitates another, seeking to match their qualities or achievements.
"He was a lifelong emulator of the great essayists of the eighteenth century."
Somewhat formal and less frequent than the computing sense.
Standard plural form, used when referring to multiple people or devices that emulate.
"Modern emulators can run dozens of different console architectures."
Every retro game you've played on a modern laptop exists because an emulator painstakingly taught new hardware to think it was something decades older — and the word itself traces back to Latin rivals striving to outdo one another.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emulator
The word 'emulator' comes from the Latin verb 'aeumulari' (later 'aemulari'), meaning 'to strive to equal or rival,' derived from 'aemulus' — 'rivaling, jealous' — which in turn relates to 'aemulus' as a noun meaning 'rival.' It entered English via the verb 'emulate,' borrowed from Latin in the early 17th century, with 'emulator' appearing shortly after as the agent noun for one who emulates. Cognates sharing this Latin root include 'emulation' and 'emulous.' The computing sense arose in the mid-20th century as engineers needed a term for systems that reproduced the behavior of other machines.
How emulator is actually used
In everyday usage today, 'emulator' most frequently refers to software that mimics hardware or operating systems, especially in gaming and legacy-system contexts. The sense of 'a person who emulates' is somewhat formal and literary. The computing sense is neutral in register and common in technical writing.
Easily confused with emulator
An emulator reproduces the full internal behavior of another system (aiming to be indistinguishable from it), while a simulator merely models its outward behavior for study or training.