Standard Lemma guide

exemplary

adj · noun · 9 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.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi/
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ɛɡ-/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 G Z EH1 M P L ER0 IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Deserving honour, respect and admiration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of such high quality that it should serve as an example to be imitated; ideal, perfect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Her behaviour was always exemplary.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Serving as a warning; monitory.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • exemplary justice, exemplary punishment, exemplary damages

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Providing an example or illustration.

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

An example, or typical instance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A copy of a book or a piece of writing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

serving to warn

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • shook a monitory finger at him
  • an exemplary jail sentence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: admonitory, cautionary, monitory, warning(a)

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

being or serving as an illustration of a type;

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the free discussion that is emblematic of democracy
  • an action exemplary of his conduct

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: emblematic, typic

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

worthy of imitation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • exemplary behavior
  • model citizens

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: model(a)

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English exemplarie, from Latin exemplāris (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile”), from exemplum (“an example; a sample; a copy or transcript”). By surface analysis, example + -ary. Doublet of exemplar. First use appears before 1450.

From Middle English exemplarie, from Latin exemplārium. By surface analysis, example + -ary. First use appears before 1425.

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: نَمُوذَجِيّ (namūḏajiyy) — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Azerbaijani: nümunəvi — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Bulgarian: образцо́в (obrazcóv) — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Catalan: exemplar — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Czech: příkladný — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Dutch: voorbeeldig — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Finnish: esimerkillinen — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Georgian: სანიმუშო (sanimušo) — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Georgian: სამაგალითო (samagalito) — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • German: vorbildlich — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Ingrian: esimerkilliin — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Macedonian: примерен (primeren) — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Polish: wzorowy — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Russian: образцо́вый (obrazcóvyj) — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Russian: приме́рный (primérnyj) — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Russian: досто́йный подража́ния (dostójnyj podražánija) — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Spanish: ejemplarizante — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Spanish: ejemplarizador — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Spanish: ejemplificante — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Spanish: ejemplificador — deserving honour, respect and admiration
  • Arabic: نَمُوذَجِيّ (namūḏajiyy) — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Arabic: مِثَالِيّ (miṯāliyy) — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Azerbaijani: nümunəvi — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Bulgarian: приме́рен (priméren) — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Catalan: exemplar — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Czech: příkladný — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Dutch: voorbeeldig — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Finnish: esimerkillinen — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Finnish: malli- — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • French: exemplaire — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Galician: exemplar — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Georgian: მისაბაძი (misabaʒi) — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Georgian: სანიმუშო (sanimušo) — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Georgian: სამაგალითო (samagalito) — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • German: vorbildlich — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • German: beispielhaft — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Indonesian: patut dicontoh — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Italian: esemplare — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Macedonian: примерен (primeren) — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Polish: przykładny — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Portuguese: exemplar — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Russian: приме́рный (primérnyj) — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Spanish: ejemplarizante — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Spanish: ejemplarizador — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Spanish: ejemplificante — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Spanish: ejemplificador — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Swedish: exemplarisk — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Swedish: föredömlig — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Swedish: förebildlig — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Swedish: mönstergill — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
  • Turkish: örnek — of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect, exemplar
Real reading context

exemplary in complete knowledge articles