Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Simulation has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
the act of imitating the behavior of some situation or some process by means of something suitably analogous (especially for the purpose of study or personnel training)
"The new flight simulator allows pilots to practice emergency landings without ever leaving the ground."
(computer science) the technique of representing the real world by a computer program
"a simulation should imitate the internal processes and not merely the results of the thing being simulated"
representation of something (sometimes on a smaller scale)
"The architect used a digital simulation to show how sunlight would hit the building throughout the day before construction began."
the act of giving a false appearance
"his conformity was only pretending"
Something that simulates a system or environment in order to predict actual behaviour.
"Engineers ran a complex computer simulation of the bridge's structural response to predict how it would behave during an earthquake before construction began."
In plain English: A simulation is a fake version of something real that acts just like it but isn't actually there.
"The video game offers a realistic simulation of driving a car through heavy traffic."
Usage: Use simulation when referring to an artificial model designed to replicate the behavior of a real-world system, such as weather patterns or traffic flow. This term is often confused with "demonstration," but unlike a demo which shows how something works, a simulation predicts outcomes based on specific variables.
The word simulation entered English around 1340 via the Middle French language. It derives from the Latin verb simulare, which means to imitate.