exemplum

[ ig-zem-pluhm ]

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.

Origin of exemplum

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

Words Nearby exemplum

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

How to use exemplum in a sentence

Huic scripto originali, quod erat hujus exemplum, appensa fuerunt duodecim sigilla.
The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple | Charles G. Addison
Patrum exemplum secuti sunt equites imitataeque equites omnes tribus.
Selections from Viri Romae | Charles Franois L'Homond
exemplum sutorem pauperem sollicitavit ut corvum institueret ad parem salutationem.
Selections from Viri Romae | Charles Franois L'Homond
Patrum exemplum sect sunt equits imittaeque equits omns tribs.
Selections from Viri Romae | Charles Franois L'Homond
Sub stricta instruens regula, uultu et habitu, sermone et uita, se eis in exemplum exhibuit.
The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran | Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for exemplum

exemplum

/ (ɪɡˈzɛmpləm) /

nounplural -pla (-plə)

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

Origin of 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

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