Seeking to imitate, match, or rival someone or something; characterized by a competitive desire to equal or surpass others.
From Latin 'aemulous' (rivaling, competing), this adjective entered English around the 15th century to describe people or attitudes marked by emulation and rivalry.
Being 'emulous' is often considered virtuous—a student who is emulous of a great scientist is seen as admirably ambitious—but the word originally meant something closer to 'jealous' or 'envious,' showing how the same impulse got rebranded as positive.
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