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.

Nearby words

exempli causa, exempli gratia, exemplification, exemplificative, exemplify, exemplum, exempt, exempt carrier, exemption, exencephaly, exenterate

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for exemplum

Sub stricta instruens regula, uultu et habitu, sermone et uita, se eis in exemplum exhibuit.
The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran|Anonymous
Exemplum sutorem pauperem sollicitavit ut corvum institueret ad parem salutationem.
Selections from Viri Romae|Charles Franois L'Homond
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
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

This story is a sort of exemplum of the sin of pride and avarice.
Filipino Popular Tales|Dean S. Fansler

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