exemplar
Americannoun
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a model or pattern to be copied or imitated.
Washington is the exemplar of patriotic virtue.
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a typical example or instance.
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an original or archetype.
Plato thought nature but a copy of ideal exemplars.
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a copy of a book or text.
noun
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a person or thing to be copied or imitated; model
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a typical specimen or instance; example
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a copy of a book or text on which further printings have been based
Etymology
Origin of exemplar
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, variant of exemplāre, noun use of neuter of exemplāris “relating or pertaining to a model or pattern,” replacing Middle English exaumplere, from Middle French examplaire, from Latin exemplāris; see exemplary
Explanation
A high school valedictorian is an exemplar of dedication and hard work. Most parents would love for their children to emulate a student with such excellent grades. Notice the similarity between the words exemplar and example. This word can mean both “perfect example” and “typical example.” A fireman can be an exemplar of courage, and a building can be an exemplar of the architecture from a certain period.
Vocabulary lists containing exemplar
This Week in Words: October 28 - November 2, 2018
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Vocabulary from "John L. O'Sullivan on 'Manifest Destiny' " from 1839
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Class Matters
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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.
He long served as a moral exemplar; he should now serve as a cautionary tale known to all.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
The exemplar of this era is Nvidia Corp.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
"Richard Nixon is typically considered the modern exemplar of a dark and vindictive president," Wilson wrote for The Daily Beast in 2016.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2025
The founders’ fears of dictatorship found a real-world overseas exemplar soon after the Constitution was ratified.
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2025
The original exemplar of American social mobility was almost certainly Benjamin Franklin, one of seventeen children of a candle maker.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
