simulacrum

noun

sim·​u·​la·​crum ˌsim-yə-ˈla-krəm How to pronounce simulacrum (audio)
-ˈlā-
plural simulacra ˌsim-yə-ˈla-krə How to pronounce simulacrum (audio)
-ˈlā-
 also simulacrums
1
: image, representation
… a reasonable simulacrum of reality …—Martin Mayer
2
: an insubstantial form or semblance of something : trace

Did you know?

There is more than a crumb of similarity between simulacrum and simulate: both words come from simulāre, a Latin verb meaning "to pretend, produce a fraudulent imitation of, imitate." At the root of simulāre is the Latin adjective similis, which means "having characteristics in common." Many "similar" words trace back to similis, hence the resemblance between simulacrum and familiar terms like simultaneous, simile, and of course similarity.

Examples of simulacrum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With each post, a content creator is creating a simulacrum that might not resemble their true self at all, but could appear highly convincing to a stranger. — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 But in successful experiments in the fall of 2025, scientists re-created the conditions present at the birth of planets, complete with simulacra of magma and miniature hydrogen atmospheres. — Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026 An airport offers, if not exactly an equitable experience (there are Clear lines, lounge archipelagos), then at least a perceptible simulacrum of equality, in that everyone rides the same people movers past the same Cinnabons. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026 How Lucila gets here physically, and logistically, is intuitive enough, but the emotional journey this trip takes her on is left too vague to make a meaningful impact, as much as Diaz might conjure great life from within the film’s simulacrum of living on the margins. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for simulacrum

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "image, representation," borrowed from Latin simulācrum "likeness, visual representation, image, statue, outward appearance of a person or thing (as in the imagination or a dream), phantom, sham appearance," from simulāre "to pretend, produce a fraudulent imitation of, imitate" + -crum, suffix of instruments (dissimilated from *-clum, going back to *-tlom) — more at simulate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of simulacrum was in the 15th century

Rhymes for simulacrum

See All Rhymes for simulacrum

Browse Nearby Words

simulacre
simulacrum
simular
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Simulacrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simulacrum. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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