example

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   One case or item that shows what a larger group or a general idea is like.

   Grammar: Countable; often with for or of: an example of kindness, for example.

   Patterns

   • an example of something
   • for example

   Can you give me an example of a mammal that lays eggs?

   The bridge is a fine example of Victorian engineering.

   Here is an example of how the tool works.

2. 2nounsingular

   A person or action whose behaviour is worth copying, or one that warns others what to avoid.

   Grammar: Often singular with set, follow or make: set a good example.

   Patterns

   • set an example
   • follow someone's example
   • make an example of someone

   Parents should set an example by turning off their own phones at dinner.

   He followed his sister's example and learnt to swim.

   The coach made an example of the late player to show the rules mattered.

3. 3nouncountable

   A sentence or problem used in teaching to show how something is done.

   Grammar: Countable: worked example, example sentence.

   Patterns

   • a worked example

   The textbook gives a worked example before each exercise.

   Read the example sentence in the dictionary entry to see the word in context.

Word forms

Common combinations

for example

Many fruits, for example apples and pears, grow in cool climates.

set an example

Older siblings often set an example for the younger ones.

a good example

This is a good example of clear writing.

follow someone's example

Many neighbours followed her example and started composting.

a prime example

The old mill is a prime example of local industrial history.

make an example of someone

The judge made an example of the offender with a heavy fine.

Synonyms and how they differ

instance

Instance is more formal and stresses a single occurrence of something, while example stresses illustration.

sample

A sample is a small part taken from a whole to show its quality, not a case chosen to explain an idea.

illustration

An illustration is something, often a story or picture, that clarifies a point, so it is a little more deliberate than example.

model

A model is something to be copied or imitated, so it matches only the 'set an example' sense of example.

Opposites

Word family

exemplify verb

to be a typical example of something

exemplary adjective

so good that it can serve as a model

exemplar noun

a perfect or typical model

exemplification noun

an act of showing by example

Commonly confused: example or sample? example or exemplary?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “example”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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