Meaning & use
embody
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To be a clear, living example of a quality or idea.
Grammar: Takes an object, usually an abstract noun: embody courage.
Patterns
- embody something
- be embodied in something
The nurse embodies compassion in everything she does.
Her speech embodied the hopes of the whole town.
This building embodies the spirit of modern design.
verbtransitiveformal
To include something as part of a larger whole.
Grammar: Often used in formal documents: the treaty embodies several principles.
Patterns
- embody something in something
The new law embodies several earlier proposals.
The final draft embodies feedback from every department.
Word forms
| third person singular | embodies |
|---|---|
| past tense | embodied |
| past participle | embodied |
| -ing form | embodying |
Common combinations
- embody the spirit of
- The team embodies the spirit of fair play.
- embody the values
- The school aims to embody the values of respect.
- perfectly embody
- She perfectly embodies the role of a leader.
- embody an ideal
- The statue embodies an ideal of freedom.
- embody a principle
- The charter embodies a principle of equality.
Synonyms and how they differ
- represent
- Represent can mean stand for something in a general way, while embody means to show a quality so fully that it seems to live in you.
- personify
- Personify suggests being a perfect example, often in a vivid or almost symbolic way.
- exemplify
- Exemplify is a close synonym, and it suggests serving as a typical example rather than fully taking the form.
- incorporate
- Incorporate means to include as part of something, a narrower fit for the second sense.
Opposites
Word family
- embodiment noun
- a perfect example of a quality
- embodied adjective
- made real or physical
- disembody verb
- to remove from the body
- bodily adjective
- of the body
Commonly confused: embody or embrace?
embody vs embrace
Embrace means to hug or readily accept something, while embody means to be a clear example of a quality.
Practice
Which sentence uses embody correctly?
Choose one answer.
Embody takes a direct object with no preposition. The other options add an incorrect preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “embody”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.