Exemplify
/ɪɡˈzɛmplɪfaɪ/noun
To show or illustrate by example; to serve as an example of something.
Did you know?Exemplify comes from the same Latin root as *example*, originally tied to taking one thing out as a model, not casting a spell—but it still shows how language can turn a single case into authority.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
exemplum
“a sample, pattern, or model”
Late Latin
Latin
exemplificare
“to illustrate by example; to make an example of”
Old French
Old French
exemplifier
“to exemplify, illustrate”
14th Century
English
exemplifie(n)
“to illustrate by example”
Modern English
English
exemplify
“to illustrate or show by example”