exemplum

[ ig-zem-pluh m ]
/ ɪgˈzɛm pləm /

noun, plural ex·em·pla [ig-zem-pluh] /ɪgˈzɛm plə/.

an example or model.
an anecdote that illustrates or supports a moral point, as in a medieval sermon.

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Origin of exemplum

1885–90; < Late Latin, Latin: literally, a pattern, model, copy

Words nearby exemplum

exempli causa, exempli gratia, exemplification, exemplificative, exemplify, exemplum, exempt, exempt carrier, exemption, exencephaly, exenterate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for exemplum

British Dictionary definitions for exemplum

exemplum
/ (ɪɡˈzɛmpləm) /

noun plural -pla (-plə)

an anecdote that supports a moral point or sustains an argument, used esp in medieval sermons
an example or illustration

Word Origin for exemplum

from Latin: example
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