exemplum

[ ig-zem-pluhm ]

noun,plural ex·em·pla [ig-zem-pluh]. /ɪgˈzɛm plə/.
  1. an example or model.

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

Origin of exemplum

1
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

British Dictionary definitions for exemplum

exemplum

/ (ɪɡˈzɛmpləm) /


nounplural -pla (-plə)
  1. an anecdote that supports a moral point or sustains an argument, used esp in medieval sermons

  2. an example or illustration

Origin of exemplum

1
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