Definition

Noun: 1. A machine or system designed to imitate real-world conditions or processes: A simulator is a device, often computer-based, that creates a realistic model of an environment, vehicle, or situation. Its primary purpose is for training, research, or testing, allowing users to practice or experiment without the risks, costs, or consequences of the real thing. 2. A person or thing that simulates: This less common meaning refers to an entity that pretends or feigns.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Machine/System):
  • The new pilots spent many hours in the flight simulator before their first real flight.
  • This driving simulator accurately recreates the feeling of being on a busy highway.
  • Scientists use a climate simulator to model the effects of global warming.
• Noun (Person/Thing that pretends):
  • (Rare/Formal) He was a master simulator of emotions, making it hard to know what he truly felt.

Advanced Usage

• "In the simulator": A common phrase indicating someone is using a simulation device for training or practice.
  • The surgeon practiced the complex procedure in the surgical simulator.
• "Simulator sickness": A type of motion sickness some people experience when using virtual reality or high-fidelity simulators, similar to cybersickness.

Variants and Related Words

• Simulate (verb): To imitate the appearance, character, or conditions of something.
  • The software simulates the physics of a car crash.
• Simulation (noun): The act of simulating or the condition of being simulated; also, the model or environment created by a simulator.
  • The simulation helped the team prepare for the emergency.
• Simulated (adjective): Made to look, feel, or behave like something else; artificial.
  • The cockpit was equipped with simulated controls.

Synonyms

• Trainer: (Especially for a machine used for instruction)
• Mock-up: (A model, often full-size, for study or testing)
• Model: (A representation to help study or explain a system)
• Emulator: (A device or program that mimics the functions of another system)

Related Phrases

• Flight simulator: A specific type of simulator that replicates the experience of flying an aircraft.
• Driving simulator: A simulator designed to replicate the experience of driving a vehicle.
• Virtual reality (VR) simulator: A simulator that uses VR technology to create an immersive, interactive environment.

Noun

1. a machine that simulates an environment for the purpose of training or research