example
Etymology

From Middle English example, exaumple, from Old French example, essaumple, from Latin exemplum; see exempt.

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ɪɡˈzɑːm.pəl/
  • (Northern England, Scotland) IPA: /ɪɡˈzam.pəl/
  • (America) IPA: /ɪɡˈzæm.pəl/, [ɪɡˈzɛəmpəɫ]
  • (America, Australia, weak vowel) IPA: /əɡˈzæm.pəl/
  • (New Zealand) IPA: /əɡˈzaːm.pəl/, [ɘɡˈzɐːmpɯ]
Noun

example (plural examples)

  1. Something that is representative of all such things in a group.
  2. Something that serves to illustrate or explain a rule.
  3. Something that serves as a pattern of behaviour to be imitated (a good example) or not to be imitated (a bad example).
    Nelson Mandela was an example for many to follow.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, John 13:15 ↗, column 1:
      For I haue giuen you an example, that yee ſhould doe, as I haue done to you.
    • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain'd. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC ↗, page 52 ↗, lines 823–824:
      I gave, thou ſay'ſt, th' example, / I led the way;
    • 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter IV, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC ↗, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=emu.010001278701;view=1up;seq=102 page 86]:
      Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, […]
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC ↗, pages 58–59 ↗:
      The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. […] Their example was followed by others at a time when the master of Mohair was superintending in person the docking of some two-year-olds, and equally invisible.
  4. A person punished as a warning to others.
    • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene iv], page 298 ↗, column 1:
      […] hang him, hee'le be made an example.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, 1 Corinthians 10:6 ↗, column 2:
      Now theſe things were our examples, to the intent wee ſhould not luſt after euil things, as they alſo luſted.
  5. A parallel or closely similar case, especially when serving as a precedent or model.
    • c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene iv], page 12 ↗, column 1:
      Such temperate order in ſo fierce a cauſe, / Doth want example: […]
  6. An instance (as a problem to be solved) serving to illustrate the rule or precept or to act as an exercise in the application of the rule.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

example (examples, present participle exampling; simple past and past participle exampled)

  1. To be illustrated or exemplified (by).



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