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Added 9 October 2026

exemplary

/ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi/ adjective

Latin root: exemplāris Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about exemplary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Deserving honour, respect and admiration.
Of such high quality that it should serve as an example to be imitated; ideal, perfect.
Her behaviour was always exemplary.
Serving as a warning; monitory.
exemplary justice, exemplary punishment, exemplary damages

noun

An example, or typical instance.
A copy of a book or a piece of writing.

Origin

From Middle English exemplarie, from Latin exemplāris (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile”), from exemplum (“an example; a sample; a copy or transcript”). By surface analysis, example + -ary. Doublet of exemplar. First use appears before 1450.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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