exemplum

[ig-zem-pluh m]

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for exemplum

Historical Examples of exemplum

Transeat in exemplum—Let it stand as a precedent, or an example.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources
James Wood
This story is a sort of exemplum of the sin of pride and avarice.
Filipino Popular Tales
Dean S. Fansler
Certainly the convent never went to sleep in a sermon which had the tale of Chauntecleer and Pertelote for its exemplum.
Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535
Eileen Edna Power
Exemplum: As David of Trebizond has told me, when they wipe out the population of a city, they know there will be a few survivors.
The Saracen: Land of the Infidel
Robert Shea
Mr. De Morgan says "Plato," but to prevent confusion I have kept to my own exemplum.
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive
John Stuart Mill

British Dictionary definitions for exemplum

exemplum

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