Standard Lemma guide

exemplar

adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪkˈzɛm.plə/
  • General-American: /ɛɡˈzɛm.plɑɹ/
  • General-American: /ɪɡˈzɛm.plɚ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 G Z EH1 M P L AA0 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Exemplary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something fit to be imitated; an ideal, a worthy model or role model: a desirable example.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: archetype, epitome, example, exemplar, icon, model, paradigm, paragon, pattern, quintessence, template

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something typical or representative; an example that typifies its class.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A pattern after which others should be made; an archetype.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A well-known use of a scientific theory.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A manuscript used by a scribe to make a handwritten copy; the original document to be reproduced in a copy machine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A copy of a book or piece of writing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

something to be imitated

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an exemplar of success
  • a model of clarity
  • he is the very model of a modern major general

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: example, model, good example

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ideal

Narrower terms: beauty, beaut, pacesetter, pacemaker, pattern, prodigy

History

Etymology

From Middle English exempler, from Middle French exemplaire, and its source, Latin exemplāris. By surface analysis, example + -ar. Doublet of exemplary.

From Middle English exempler, from Middle French exemplair, and its source, Latin exemplar, from Latin exemplum (“example”).

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أُسْوَة (ʔuswa) — something fit to be imitated
  • Bulgarian: модел (model) — something fit to be imitated
  • Bulgarian: образец (obrazec) — something fit to be imitated
  • Georgian: ნიმუში (nimuši) — something fit to be imitated
  • Georgian: მოდელი (modeli) — something fit to be imitated
  • Georgian: მაგალითი (magaliti) — something fit to be imitated
  • German: Vorbild — something fit to be imitated
  • German: Vergleichstück — something fit to be imitated
  • Irish: eiseamláir — something fit to be imitated
  • Macedonian: пример (primer) — something fit to be imitated
  • Māori: tauira — something fit to be imitated
  • Romanian: model — something fit to be imitated
  • Russian: образе́ц (obrazéc) — something fit to be imitated
  • Spanish: ejemplar — something fit to be imitated
  • Bulgarian: образец (obrazec) — something typical or representative of a class
  • Bulgarian: пример (primer) — something typical or representative of a class
  • Georgian: ნიმუში (nimuši) — something typical or representative of a class
  • Georgian: მაგალითი (magaliti) — something typical or representative of a class
  • Georgian: ეგზემპლარი (egzemṗlari) — something typical or representative of a class
  • Georgian: მოდელი (modeli) — something typical or representative of a class
  • German: Urbild — something typical or representative of a class
  • German: Urgestalt — something typical or representative of a class
  • Italian: esemplare — something typical or representative of a class
  • Italian: campione — something typical or representative of a class
  • Latin: exemplar — something typical or representative of a class
  • Macedonian: примерок (primerok) — something typical or representative of a class
  • Māori: tauaromahi — something typical or representative of a class
  • Romanian: exemplar — something typical or representative of a class
  • Russian: образе́ц (obrazéc) — something typical or representative of a class
  • Spanish: ejemplar — something typical or representative of a class
  • Bulgarian: екземпляр (ekzempljar) — handwritten manuscript
  • Esperanto: ekzemplero — handwritten manuscript
  • French: exemple — handwritten manuscript
  • German: Urschrift — handwritten manuscript
  • Latin: copia — handwritten manuscript
  • Macedonian: примерок (primerok) — handwritten manuscript
  • Russian: экземпля́р (ekzempljár) — handwritten manuscript
Real reading context

exemplar in complete knowledge articles