Meaning of example in English
Table of contents
Noun
exampleEtymology
late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin exemplum, from eximere‘take out’, from ex-‘out’ + emere‘take’. Compare with sampleDefinitions
1. an item of information that is representative of a typeExamples
- « this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome »
- « there is an example on page 10 »
Derived terms
- 2. a representative form or pattern
Examples
- « I profited from his example »
Derived terms
- 3. something to be imitated
Examples
- « an exemplar of success »
- « a model of clarity »
- « he is the very model of a modern major general »
Derived terms
- 4. punishment intended as a warning to others
Examples
- « they decided to make an example of him »
- 5. an occurrence of something
Examples
- « it was a case of bad judgment »
- « another instance occurred yesterday »
- « but there is always the famous example of the Smiths »
Derived terms
- 6. a task performed or problem solved in order to develop skill or understanding
Examples
- « you must work the examples at the end of each chapter in the textbook »
Famous quotes
- « The attitude is we live and let live. This is actually an amazing change in values in a rather short time and it's an example of freedom from religion. » Tom Wolfe
- « Human-rights advocates, for example, claim that the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners is of a piece with President Bush's 2002 decision to deny al Qaeda and Taliban fighters the legal status of prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. » John Yoo
- « If we talk about the environment, for example, we have to talk about environmental racism - about the fact that kids in South Central Los Angeles have a third of the lung capacity of kids in Santa Monica. » Danny Glover
- « Success in training the boy depends largely on the Scoutmaster's own personal example. » Robert Baden-Powell
- « The phenomenon of home schooling is a wonderful example of the American can-do attitude. Growing numbers of parents have become disenchanted with government-run public schools. Many parents have simply taken matters into their own hands, literally. » Steve Forbes