example
/ɪɡˈzɑːmp(ə)l
/ /ɛɡˈzɑːmp(ə)l/noun
1A thing characteristic of its kind or illustrating a general rule: advertising provides a good example of an industry where dreams have faded...
- If any of you can provide me with examples of this character's cretinhood, I will happily publish them.
- The strap-ends are decorated with animals and are the largest and among the finest examples from the period.
- To establish this, Porter probes both the general context and specific examples.
Synonyms
specimen, sample, exemplar, exemplification, instance, case, representative case, typical case, case in point, illustration
1.1A written problem or exercise designed to illustrate a rule: a workbook and a data set will enable the researcher to follow worked examples...
- Does anyone of you have some experience in it, and could give some examples of exercises, or rituals?
- Try it out on the examples in the exercises, for which a pencil mark will substitute for the peanuts.
- Any book on calculus will contain many similar examples and exercises for you to practice.
2A person or thing regarded in terms of their fitness to be imitated: it is important that parents should set an example he followed his brother’s example and deserted his family...
- He then took a serious tone and spoke of the need for leading officials to set an example.
- It feels it should set an example by reducing the numbers of cars in the city.
- One of the key recommendations was the use of role models to set an example to younger generations.
Synonyms
precedent, lead, guide, model, pattern, blueprint, template, paradigm, exemplar, ideal, standard;
parallel case;
role model
verb (be exampled)
Be illustrated or exemplified: the extent of Allied naval support is exampled by the navigational specialists provided...
- The crisis in public health delivery with bed shortages, ‘code reds’ where ambulances have been turned away from the emergency ward at Liverpool, and the shortcomings in patient care exampled at Campbelltown Hospital.
- Her previous film and video work shows a distinct concern for documentary visual practices and a fascination with ethnographic films, exampled in her 1999 film Facing Forward.
- Lest this turn into another lament about the state of our cinemas, let me state that there's nothing terribly wrong with the new breed of venues, perhaps best exampled by the Paramount.
Phrases
for example
make an example of
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin exemplum, from eximere 'take out', from ex- 'out' + emere 'take'. Compare with sample.
Example goes back to Latin exemplum ‘sample, imitation’, from eximere ‘take out’. Sample (Middle English) comes from the same root via French.