simulated

Simulated is an adjective describing something produced to imitate or replicate another thing. It denotes artificiality or non-reality, achieved through modeling, computation, or emulation rather than through natural occurrence. The term derives from simulate, which in turn comes from Latin simulare, meaning to feign or imitate.

In science and engineering, simulation uses mathematical or computational models to study the behavior of systems under controlled conditions. Simulated environments enable testing, training, and analysis without the risks or costs of real-world experiments. Applications span weather and climate, aerodynamics, finance, epidemiology, and manufacturing. Techniques include Monte Carlo methods, finite element analysis, and discrete-event simulation.

In philosophy and popular discourse, the idea of simulated reality questions whether perception reflects an actual world or a sophisticated construct. The simulation hypothesis, associated with Nick Bostrom, proposes that future civilizations could run numerous simulations of ancestors. The term simulated also appears in everyday language to describe things that are not genuine, such as simulated leather or simulated voices in technology.

Related terms include simulation, synthetic materials, virtual reality, and artificiality. Simulated work across disciplines as a practical method for exploring systems, testing ideas, and producing results when real-world approaches are impractical or impossible.