Meaning & use

exemplify

verb·Academic

To be a typical or clear example of something, or to illustrate a quality by example.

See it in a sentence

Her dedication to her patients exemplifies what it means to be a great nurse.

The old bridge exemplifies the engineering style common in the early twentieth century.

A note on using this word

Exemplify is more formal than 'show'; it works best with abstract qualities or categories rather than concrete objects.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “exemplify”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.