object lesson
Americannoun
noun
-
a convincing demonstration of some principle or ideal
-
(esp formerly) a lesson in which a material object forms the basis of the teaching and is available to be inspected
Etymology
Origin of object lesson
First recorded in 1825–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Faintly terrifying though it is, it’s an object lesson in the Fleischers’ expansive view of animation’s possibilities.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
He and his representatives are now threatening Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Iran and Greenland, with Venezuela serving as an object lesson of what may happen if a country dares to disobey his wishes.
From Salon • Jan. 6, 2026
“But it’s also an object lesson in what you can do if you’re solvent — and clever — during the worst recession in Southern California since the 1930s.”
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2025
Industry insiders have told the BBC that Fishwick is now regarded as an object lesson in how not to run an installation project.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025
Cicero, then, offers an object lesson for orators in the importance of watching your mouth.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
