exemplify
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to show by example
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to serve as an example of
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law
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to make an official copy of (a document from public records) under seal
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to transcribe (a legal document)
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exemplifysimple
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exemplifiessimple
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have exemplifiedperfect
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has exemplifiedperfect
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am exemplifyingprogressive
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are exemplifyingprogressive
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is exemplifyingprogressive
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have been exemplifyingperfect progressive
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has been exemplifyingperfect progressive
Past
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exemplifiedsimple
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had exemplifiedperfect
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was exemplifyingprogressive
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were exemplifyingprogressive
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had been exemplifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exemplify
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English exemplifien, from Middle French exemplifier, from Medieval Latin exemplificāre “to copy”; See exemplum, -ify
Explanation
If you exemplify something, you're the perfect example of it. Say you wear frilly shirts, knee-high boots, and black eye-make-up — you exemplify the fashion world's obsession with pirates. Exemplifying something can also mean make it clearer by offering an illustration or an example. If you want to exemplify your argument that, say, pirate gear is fashionable, you might want to show your friends some pictures of celebrities wearing eye patches.
Vocabulary lists containing exemplify
Power Suffix: -fy
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Grade 9, List 2
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The AP English Exam: Rhetorical and Literary Terms 1
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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.
Examples of individual stocks that exemplify the three defensive stock-picking strategies appear in the table below.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
Habib said his two newest recruits "exemplify the kind of public servants Advance UK exists to support - principled, serious people who want to represent their communities honestly and without fear".
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
“This level of engagement continues to exemplify the solidarity and strength of our union.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026
They exemplify what fairness in journalism looks like.
From Salon • Dec. 31, 2025
The 1919 experiments would exemplify the Rutherford style.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
