MEANING
An image, likeness, or imitation of something, sometimes one that lacks the substance of its original.
Use it for
A human likeness without expected inner life; counterfeit identity; an imitation that misses one essential featureSpecify what has been copied and what remains absent.
Words that belong together
- simulacrum of a person
- convincing simulacrum
- hollow simulacrum
On the page
The figure was a simulacrum of her father, accurate down to the scar.
A wax simulacrum occupied the chair at breakfast.
Its speech produced a simulacrum of conversation without answering a single question.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- simulacrum
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Formal or literary; need not be alive or imperfect. In horror, an imitation's behavior must be established by the story, not assumed from the word. Noun plural: simulacra; simulacrums. Derived/related family (not inflections): simulate (verb), simulation (related noun).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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