simulative

Simulative is an adjective relating to simulation or to the act of imitating real-world processes, conditions, or behaviors. It describes something that can produce or reproduce characteristics of a system or scenario for analysis, testing, or training. The term comes from simulate and the -ive suffix, and it is often used to distinguish active, functioning models from static descriptions.

In practice, simulative approaches are used across fields such as computer science, engineering, psychology, education, and medicine. Examples include simulative environments in which software models run under controlled inputs to study dynamics; simulative training programs that let practitioners practice skills without risk; and simulative experiments that explore hypotheses before real-world trials.

Simulative models may employ numerical, stochastic, or agent-based methods and can operate in real time or offline. They are often contrasted with merely simulated representations that are qualitative, and with simulation-based methods that treat a computational model as a surrogate for real processes.

See also: simulation, modeling, virtual reality, digital twin, emulation, simulation-based training.