model
Americannoun
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a standard or example for imitation or comparison.
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a representation, generally in miniature, to show the construction or appearance of something.
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an image in clay, wax, or the like, to be reproduced in more durable material.
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a person or thing that serves as a subject for an artist, sculptor, writer, etc.
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a person whose profession is posing for artists or photographers.
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a person employed to wear clothing or pose with a product for purposes of display and advertising.
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a style or design of a particular product.
His car is last year's model.
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a pattern or mode of structure or formation.
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a typical form or style.
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a simplified representation of a system or phenomenon, as in the sciences or economics, with any hypotheses required to describe the system or explain the phenomenon, often mathematically.
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Zoology. an animal that is mimicked in form or color by another.
adjective
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serving as an example or model.
a model home open to prospective buyers.
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worthy to serve as a model; exemplary.
a model student.
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being a small or miniature version of something.
He enjoyed building model ships.
verb (used with object)
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to form or plan according to a model.
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to give shape or form to; fashion.
- Synonyms:
- design
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to make a miniature model of.
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to fashion in clay, wax, or the like.
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to simulate (a process, concept, or the operation of a system), commonly with the aid of a computer.
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to display to other persons or to prospective customers, especially by wearing.
to model dresses.
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to use or include as an element in a larger construct.
to model new data into the forecast.
verb (used without object)
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to make models.
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to produce designs in some plastic material.
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to assume a typical or natural appearance, as the parts of a drawing in progress.
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to serve or be employed as a model.
noun
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a representation, usually on a smaller scale, of a device, structure, etc
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( as modifier )
a model train
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a standard to be imitated
she was my model for good scholarship
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( as modifier )
a model wife
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a representative form, style, or pattern
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a person who poses for a sculptor, painter, or photographer
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a person who wears clothes to display them to prospective buyers; mannequin
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a preparatory sculpture in clay, wax, etc, from which the finished work is copied
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a design or style, esp one of a series of designs of a particular product
last year's model
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an original unique article of clothing
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( as modifier )
a model coat
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a simplified representation or description of a system or complex entity, esp one designed to facilitate calculations and predictions
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logic
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an interpretation of a formal system under which the theorems derivable in that system are mapped onto truths
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a theory in which a given sentence is true
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verb
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to make a model of (something or someone)
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to form in clay, wax, etc; mould
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to display (clothing and accessories) as a mannequin
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to plan or create according to a model or models
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to arrange studio lighting so that highlights and shadows emphasize the desired features of a human form or an inanimate object
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A systematic description of an object or phenomenon that shares important characteristics with the object or phenomenon. Scientific models can be material, visual, mathematical, or computational and are often used in the construction of scientific theories.
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See also hypothesis theory
Synonym Usage
See ideal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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modelernoun
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modellernoun
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unmodeledadjective
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premodelverb (used without object)
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unmodelledadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has modelledperfect 3rd person singular
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have modelledperfect
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has modeledperfect 3rd person singular
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have modeledperfect
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has been modelingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are modellingprogressive
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have been modelingperfect progressive
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am modelingprogressive 1st person singular
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am modellingprogressive 1st person singular
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modelingparticiple
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have been modellingperfect progressive
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has been modellingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is modelingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are modelingprogressive
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is modellingprogressive 3rd person singular
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modelssingular 3rd person
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modellingparticiple
Past
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had modelledperfect
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had modeledperfect
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were modelingprogressive plural
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was modelingprogressive singular
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modelledparticiple
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were modellingprogressive plural
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had been modelingperfect progressive
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modeledsimple
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modelledsimple
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was modellingprogressive singular
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had been modellingperfect progressive
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modeledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of model
First recorded 1565–75; earlier modell, from Middle French modelle, from Italian modello, from Vulgar Latin modellus (unrecorded), equivalent to Latin mod(ulus), a unit of measurement ( see module) + -ellus -elle
Explanation
To model something is to show it off. To make a model of your favorite car is to create a miniature version of it. To be a model is to be so gorgeous that you’re photographed for a living. The word model, which can be a noun, verb, or adjective, comes from the Latin word modulus, meaning “measure,” or “standard.” If you are a model student, you do everything as the school and teachers wish: you are the standard. If you model your life on your hero's, you try to do what he or she does. If you are a clothing designer you will need to hire a model to model your creations.
Vocabulary lists containing model
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
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The Scientific Method
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Herding cats,” said George Kulakowski of Huntington Beach, at the wheel of a 1931 Ford Model A Panel Delivery truck.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
The actress has since been linked to musician Role Model, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
It also recently stopped producing its Model S and X vehicles to convert assembly capacity into a facility for making AI-trained humanoid robots.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Tesla exports Shanghai-built Model 3s to Europe, while BMW's Chinese-made electric Minis are also sold overseas.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
On a Model T Ford the reverse is your margin of safety.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
