embody
Americanverb (used with object)
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embodies,
present (3rd person singular)
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embodied,
past participle, past
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embodying
present participle
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to give a concrete form to; express, personify, or exemplify in concrete form.
to embody an idea in an allegorical painting.
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to provide with a body incarnate; make corporeal.
to embody a spirit.
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to collect into or include in a body; organize; incorporate.
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to embrace or comprise.
verb
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to give a tangible, bodily, or concrete form to (an abstract concept)
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to be an example of or express (an idea, principle, etc), esp in action
his gentleness embodies a Christian ideal
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(often foll by in) to collect or unite in a comprehensive whole, system, etc; comprise; include
all the different essays were embodied in one long article
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to invest (a spiritual entity) with a body or with bodily form; render incarnate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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embodysimple
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embodiessimple
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have embodiedperfect
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has embodiedperfect
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am embodyingprogressive
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are embodyingprogressive
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is embodyingprogressive
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have been embodyingperfect progressive
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has been embodyingperfect progressive
Past
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embodiedsimple
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had embodiedperfect
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was embodyingprogressive
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were embodyingprogressive
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had been embodyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of embody
Explanation
To embody a role is to fill it completely. If a high schooler seems to embody the character of Macbeth, his performance might make the audience forget they're watching a dorky 15-year-old with braces. If you embody someone, you put him or her "in-body," as when an actor gives a complete and compelling representation of a character. You can also use embody to describe character traits you see in a person, like, “He embodies truth,” or, “She is the embodiment of goodness.”
Vocabulary lists containing embody
100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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Vocabulary from "Stop Expecting Games to Build Empathy" by Julie Muncy
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Content Summary G.2: Regionalization
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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.
See Examples For:
Maresca's City also embody these principles, evident by their 64% possession in their first game against Inter Milan.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Constitution is a “liberty document,” and he was responding to a view of the Constitution that saw it as written by powerful men to embody a theory of power and mastery.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
How much interest will we then take in the mental worlds of others—an interest that, Ms. Watson says, we embody by asking questions?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
But relief is coming for the upwards of 250,000 people from all over the world who attend the WCS every year to embody manga, animation or video game characters.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
She began to associate with Ralph Myers, a white man with a badly disfigured face and lengthy criminal record who seemed to perfectly embody her fall from grace.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Flock Safety embodies the dishonesty that has been the prevailing theme of tech corporate communications and marketing for at least the past decade.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“This extraordinary residence represents the culmination of that passion: a Napa-inspired estate that embodies everything she loved most about residential design,” the listing goes on.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Deeply influenced by his Cuban grandfather, Rubio says he embodies the American dream.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
"Each of the Seven embodies all of the Seven," Septon Osmynd had told her once.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
It included specific expressive choices already embodied in Salkin’s materials.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
“Unitree’s IPO is significant because it provides an important A-share valuation benchmark for embodied AI and humanoid robotics,” Morningstar analyst Kangyuxiao Li says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
"By his side, Mathilde Favier embodied another form of French greatness: that of fashion and luxury," the minister added in a statement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Ahmed also referred to Islam and said Musa "embodied" traits of the Prophet Muhammad.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Washington realized it meant sustaining the national purpose as embodied in the Continental Army.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
And he put his own political brand - steady, competent and embodying the highest moral standards - front and centre.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
There can be value in embodying machismo on-screen, if it’s done right.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
“This union of artistry and vision transformed the property into a singular masterpiece, embodying the glamour and creative force of Hollywood’s Golden Age,” the description goes on.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
Matthew Milton, Robert’s brother and an assistant coach for the Braves, said he still can’t believe how the team rallied together, exceeding all expectations and embodying so much of the spirit of Altadena.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
Curiously, though, environmentalists also describe Native American history as embodying precisely the opposite lesson: how to live in a spiritual balance with Nature.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
