simulacrum

simulacrum
noun
sim·;u·;la·;crum ;sim-y;-;la-kr;m  -;l;-
pluralsimulacra ;sim-y;-;la-kr;  -;l;- 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 simul;re, a Latin verb meaning "to pretend, produce a fraudulent imitation of, imitate." At the root of simul;re 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. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In professional sports like the NBA and the NFL, agents and financial advisors are required to be registered and monitored, providing at least a simulacrum of oversight for athletes navigating the treacherous waters of big-time sports.
—Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
The concert became a simulacrum of the recording instead of the other way around.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2024
For about 40 minutes, the whole thing feels like a simulacrum of another movie, or a movie trailer.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2025
Brianna’s slender twisty eel-like body, the thrust of pelvic bones, shiny eyes rolling back in her head in passion or a simulacrum of it. . . .
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025

Word History
Etymology
Middle English, "image, representation," borrowed from Latin simul;crum "likeness, visual representation, image, statue, outward appearance of a person or thing (as in the imagination or a dream), phantom, sham appearance," from simul;re "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
See more words from the same century