Word of the day: Exemplum

Exemplum

[eg-ZEM-pləm]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 15th century

An example or model, especially a moralizing or illustrative story.

Examples of exemplum in a sentence

"The first 'Star Wars' film is an exemplum of the belief that good eventually triumphs over evil."

"Before Shari gave me her keys, she told me that her last house sitter watered her plants, which I took as an exemplum."

About Exemplum

This term comes directly from “exemplum” in classical Latin, and is closely related with “example.” In the late medieval period, both “example” and “exemplum” implied the kind of behavior that others could model themselves upon. While “example” became a broadly used term synonymous with “sample,” “exemplum” has continued to refer to an allegory from which others can learn some lesson.

Did you Know?

“Exemplum” looks similar to “example,” but the former is concerned with what specifically constitutes a good example. An exemplum, therefore, does not simply give an example of a situation. Rather, like traditional fables and other stories that include an instructive moral, an exemplum presents a case of how a situation is best encountered and resolved.