Embody
/ɪmˈbɒd.i/noun
To give a spirit, idea, or quality a physical form; to represent or contain something in a concrete way.
Did you know?“Embody” is built from the prefix en-/em- (“in, into”) + “body,” so its history is about forcing an idea, spirit, or presence into fleshly form.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhew-
“to be, to become, to grow”
Old English
OE
bōd
“a body, trunk, or physical form”
Middle English
ME
embodien
“to put into bodily form; to personify”
16th Century
English
embody
“to make into a body; to incorporate”
Modern English
English
embody
“to give tangible or visible form to an idea or quality”