example
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
examples
plural
examples
Britannica Dictionary definition of EXAMPLE
1
:
a person or way of behaving that is seen as a model that should be followed
[count]
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He was inspired by the example of his older brother. [=he wanted to do what his older brother did]
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You should try to follow her example. [=try to do as she does]
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Let that be an example to you! [=let that show you what you should or should not do]
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He set a good/bad example for the rest of us.
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It's up to you to set an example. [=to behave in a way that shows other people how to behave]
[noncount]
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She chooses to lead by example. [=to lead by behaving in a way that shows others how to behave]
2
[count]
a
:
someone or something that is mentioned to help explain what you are saying or to show that a general statement is true
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She gave/offered several examples to show that the program is effective.
b
:
something or someone chosen from a group in order to show what the whole group is like
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We've chosen three examples of contemporary architecture for closer study.
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a classic example of a Persian rug
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a fine/prime example of the artist's work
3
[count]
a
:
a phrase or sentence that shows how a word is used
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The dictionary includes thousands of examples.
b
:
something (such as a problem that a student has to solve) that is used to teach how a rule or process works
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arithmetic examples
for example
— used when you are mentioning a specific person or thing that helps to explain what you are saying or to show that a general statement is true
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Things are getting better. Last year, for example [=for instance], the company achieved record sales in Europe.
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It was obvious that her memory was failing. For example, she would often forget where she put her car keys.
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A lot of my friends were there—John and Linda, for example.
make an example of
◊ If you make an example of a person who has done something wrong, you punish that person as a way of warning other people not to do the same thing.
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Although it was only his first offense, the judge decided to make an example of him and sentence him to prison.
