simulation

The act or process of simulating.

An imitation; a sham.

Assumption of a false appearance.

Imitation or representation, as of a potential situation or in experimental testing.

Representation of the operation or features of one process or system through the use of another.

The act of simulating, or feigning or counterfeiting; the false assumption of a certain appearance or character; pretense, usually for the purpose of deceiving.

Specifically— In phonology, imitation in form; the alteration of the form of a word so as to approach or agree with that of another word having some accidental similarity, and to suggest a connection between them: a tendency of popular etymology.

In biology, unconscious imitation or protective mimicry; assimilation in appearance.

Resemblance; similarity.