to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass: to emulate one's father as a concert violinist.
to rival with some degree of success: Some smaller cities now emulate the major capitals in their cultural offerings.
Computers.
to imitate (a particular computer system) by using a software system, often including a microprogram or another computer that enables it to do the same work, run the same programs, etc., as the first.
to replace (software) with hardware to perform the same task.
adjective
Obsolete. emulous.
Origin of emulate
1580–90; <Latin aemulātus, past participle of aemulārī to rival. See emulous, -ate1
As you exit your teenage years, are there artist you would like to emulate?
Portrait of the Austin Mahone as a Teen Idol|William O’Connor|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The experience is intended to emulate being taken hostage, which feels strange in these very real ISIS horror-drenched times.
Sex, Blood, and Screaming: Blackout’s Dark Frights|Tim Teeman|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A role model is someone whose behaviors one seeks to emulate.
There She Is! Deport the Miss America Pageant.|Amy Zimmerman|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Chicago, you have rappers like Chief Keef posing with guns, and the young kids there emulate that.
Quincy Jones Talks Chicago’s Mean Streets, Why Kanye West Is No Michael Jackson, and Bieber|Marlow Stern|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is not an example that current governments and institutions should emulate.
The Holocaust’s Forgotten Roma Victims|Kristin Raeesi, Glenda Bailey-Mershon, Margareta Matache|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I come to emulate the generous deed; He gave me back my love, and in return I will restore his father.
The Inflexible Captive|Hannah More
The object was to encourage the Canadians to emulate the example of the people of America and of France.
Montreal 1535-1914, Volume II (of 2)|William Henry Atherton
He yearns to emulate the triumphs of those who have preceded him on the stage of endeavor.
The Reconstructed School|Francis B. Pearson
The opportunity and the incentive to emulate increase greatly in scope and urgency.
The Theory of the Leisure Class|Thorstein Veblen
He would try, down here in the bowels of the earth, to emulate his friend.
Dragon's blood|Henry Milner Rideout
British Dictionary definitions for emulate
emulate
/ (ˈɛmjʊˌleɪt) /
verb(tr)
to attempt to equal or surpass, esp by imitation
to rival or compete with
to make one computer behave like (another different type of computer) so that the imitating system can operate on the same data and execute the same programs as the imitated system