example

Meaning

Noun

1. Something that is representative of all such things in a group.
2. Something that serves to illustrate or explain a rule.
3. Something that serves as a pattern of behaviour to be imitated (a good example) or not to be imitated (a bad example).
4. A person punished as a warning to others.
5. A parallel or closely similar case, especially when serving as a precedent or model.
6. An instance (as a problem to be solved) serving to illustrate the rule or precept or to act as an exercise in the application of the rule.

Verb

To be illustrated or exemplified (by).

Hyphenated as

ex‧am‧ple

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪɡˈzɑːm.pəl/

Etymology

From Middle English example, exaumple, from Old French example, essaumple, from Latin exemplum (“sample, pattern, specimen, copy for imitation, etc.”, literally “what is taken out”); see exempt. Doublet of exemplum and sample. Displaced native Middle English forebisne, from Old English forebȳsn; and Middle English bisne, from Old English bȳsn (modern English bizen).

Sentences

An example of such a system is a mass on a surface with friction .

A classic example of a one-way function is multiplication of very large prime numbers .