exemplary

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪɡˈzɛmplɚi/ UK /ɪɡˈzɛmpləri/ See IPA manual

Freq #16945

Meanings

1

adj
extremely good and worthy of being copied or admired

The rescue team showed exemplary courage throughout the operation.
2

adj
serving as a representative example of a type

The museum preserved the house as an exemplary work of modernist design.
3

adj
intended to warn others by imposing a severe example

The court awarded exemplary damages to deter similar misconduct.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · extremely good and worthy... model outstanding admirable commendable

2 adj · serving as a representative... illustrative representative typical

3 adj · intended to warn others by... admonitory deterrent punitive

Opposites

disgraceful inferior unworthy

Word family

Derived forms exemplarilyexemplarinessexemplaritynonexemplaryunexemplary

Related forms example exemplar exemplify exemplification

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

exemplary behavior
conduct so good that other people should follow its example

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle French exemplaire, from Latin exemplaris ("serving as an example"), based on exemplum ("example, pattern"). The warning sense survives in phrases such as exemplary punishment, where one person's treatment is made an example for others.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# exemplary

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪɡˈzɛmplɚi/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪɡˈzɛmpləri/
**Frequency rank:** 16945

## Meanings
1. extremely good and worthy of being copied or admired
2. serving as a representative example of a type
3. intended to warn others by imposing a severe example

## Examples
- The rescue team showed exemplary courage throughout the operation.
- The museum preserved the house as an exemplary work of modernist design.
- The court awarded exemplary damages to deter similar misconduct.

## Synonyms
- model
- outstanding
- admirable
- illustrative
- representative

## Antonyms
- disgraceful
- inferior
- unworthy

## Derived Forms
- exemplarily
- exemplariness
- exemplarity
- nonexemplary
- unexemplary

## Related Forms
- example
- exemplar
- exemplify
- exemplification

## Etymology
From Middle French exemplaire, from Latin exemplaris ("serving as an example"), based on exemplum ("example, pattern"). The warning sense survives in phrases such as exemplary punishment, where one person's treatment is made an example for others.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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