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embodiment

American  
[em-bod-ee-muhnt] / ɛmˈbɒd i mənt /

noun

  1. the act of embodying.

  2. the state or fact of being embodied.

  3. a person, being, or thing embodying a spirit, principle, abstraction, etc; incarnation.

  4. something embodied.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of embodiment

First recorded in 1820–30; embody + -ment

Explanation

The embodiment of something gives concrete form to an abstract idea. A flag is the embodiment of a country. When you talk about embodiment, you're talking about giving a form to ideas that are usually not physical: like love, hate, fear, justice, etc. A gavel is the embodiment of justice; a wedding ring can be the embodiment of love. The word body in embodiment is a clue to its meaning: this is a word for giving a body to things that usually don't have one.

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