exemplary

[ ig-zem-pluh-ree, eg-zuhm-pler-ee ]

/ ɪgˈzɛm plə ri, ˈɛg zəmˌplɛr i /

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adjective

worthy of imitation; commendable: exemplary conduct.

serving as a warning: an exemplary penalty.

serving as an illustration or specimen; illustrative; typical: The sentences read are exemplary of the style of the essay as a whole.

serving as a model or pattern: The authoritative and exemplary text of the work is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

of, relating to, or composed of exempla, or examples or models: the exemplary literature of the medieval period.

OTHER WORDS FOR exemplary

1 laudable, noteworthy, praiseworthy.

See synonyms for exemplary on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of exemplary

1400–50 for earlier sense “model, exemplar”; 1580–90 for def. 1; late Middle English (noun) <Latin exemplāris.See exemplum, -ary

OTHER WORDS FROM exemplary

ex·em·pla·ri·ly, adverbex·em·pla·ri·ness, ex·em·plar·i·ty

[eg-zuhm-plar-i-tee], /ˌɛg zəmˈplær ɪ ti/, nounnon·ex·em·pla·ry, adjectiveun·ex·em·pla·ry, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use exemplary in a sentence

At the time the Anne Arundel County Council confirmed her appointment as chief of that department earlier this month, all Council members spoke out about what they considered to be her exemplary qualifications for the position.
Lesbian to be sworn in as Anne Arundel police chief|Lou Chibbaro Jr.|December 16, 2020|Washington Blade
I understand my obligation as a public official to provide exemplary compliance with the public health orders, and certainly not to ignore them.
California Democrats urged people to stay home — and then did the opposite at restaurants and holiday parties|Teo Armus|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
Ramón y Cajal, a founding father of neuroscience, had already recognized this first when, at the turn of the 20th century, he drew attention to the sense of smell as an exemplary model to learn how the brain makes sense of the world.
Our Mind-Boggling Sense of Smell - Issue 91: The Amazing Brain|Ann-Sophie Barwich|October 14, 2020|Nautilus
Ginsburg’s exemplary leadership allowed me to be this woman.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing feels like millions of women have lost their bubbie|jakemeth|September 22, 2020|Fortune

It’s a galling predicament given the island’s exemplary record in dealing with the disease, despite being excluded from the World Health Organization because of Beijing’s “One China” policy.
A quirky passport design contest evokes Taiwan’s search for national identity|Anne Quito|August 25, 2020|Quartz
A lot of other young men of their own age are standing these things exemplarily.
Health Through Will Power|James J. Walsh
Many a sum had she sent me on similar occasions; a blessed creature she was, and one that loved and feared God exemplarily.
The Diary of John Evelyn, Volume II (of 2)|John Evelyn
The king also assured them that, if Holmes had committed any unjust action, he and his officers should be exemplarily punished.
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919|Various
She immediately took the letter to her husband, and begged him to order the bearer of it to be exemplarily whipped.
Pretty Michal|Mr Jkai
To his equals he was condescending; to his inferiors, kind; and to the dear object of his affections, exemplarily tender.
Eighth Reader|James Baldwin

British Dictionary definitions for exemplary

exemplary

/ (ɪɡˈzɛmplərɪ) /

adjective

fit for imitation; modelan exemplary performance

serving as a warning; admonitoryan exemplary jail sentence

representative; typicalan action exemplary of his conduct

Derived forms of exemplary

exemplarily, adverbexemplariness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

exemplary

OTHER WORDS FOR exemplary

Origin of exemplary

OTHER WORDS FROM exemplary

Words related to exemplary

How to use exemplary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for exemplary

Derived forms of exemplary