Adjacent Words

Exemplary definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EX'EMPLARY, a. [from exemplar.] Serving for a pattern or model for imitation; worthy of imitation. The christian should be exemplary in his life, as well as correct in his doctrines.
1. Such as may serve for a warning to others; such as may deter from crimes or vices; as exemplary justice; exemplary punishment.
2. Such as may attract notice and imitation.
When any duty has fallen into general neglect, the most visible and exemplary performance is required.
3. Illustrating.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: worthy of imitation; "exemplary behavior"; "model citizens" [syn: exemplary, model]
2: being or serving as an illustration of a type; "the free discussion that is emblematic of democracy"; "an action exemplary of his conduct"; [syn: emblematic, exemplary, typic]
3: serving to warn; "shook a monitory finger at him"; "an exemplary jail sentence" [syn: admonitory, cautionary, exemplary, monitory, warning]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: circa 1507 1. a. serving as a pattern b. deserving imitation ; commendable <his courage was exemplary>; also deserving imitation because of excellence <they serve exemplary pastries — G. V. Higgins> 2. serving as a warning ; monitory <given an exemplary punishment> 3. serving as an example, instance, or illustration <this story is exemplary of her style> • exemplarily adverb • exemplariness noun • exemplarity noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 fit to be imitated; outstandingly good. 2 a serving as a warning. b Law (of damages) exceeding the amount needed for simple compensation. 3 illustrative, representative. Derivatives: exemplarily adv. exemplariness n. Etymology: LL exemplaris (as EXAMPLE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Exemplary Ex"em*pla*ry, a. [L. exemplaris, fr. exemplar: cf. F. exemplaire. See Exemplar.] 1. Serving as a pattern; deserving to be proposed for imitation; commendable; as, an exemplary person; exemplary conduct. [Bishops'] lives and doctrines ought to be exemplary. --Bacon. 2. Serving as a warning; monitory; as, exemplary justice, punishment, or damages. 3. Illustrating as the proof of a thing. --Fuller. Exemplary damages. (Law) See under Damage.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Exemplary Ex"em*pla*ry, n. An exemplar; also, a copy of a book or writing. [Obs.] --Donne.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If you describe someone or something as exemplary, you think they are extremely good. Underpinning this success has been an exemplary record of innovation. ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. An exemplary punishment is unusually harsh and is intended to stop other people from committing similar crimes. He demanded exemplary sentences for those behind the violence. ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Worthy of imitation, fit for a pattern. 2. Pattern-like, closely adherent to the pattern, faithful, close, exact, assiduous, scrupulous, punctual, punctilious, rigid, rigorous. 3. Remarkably good, excellent, highly virtuous, correct, estimable, worthy, deserving of approval. 4. Monitory, warning, admonitory, condign.

Moby Thesaurus

admirable, admonishing, admonitory, archetypal, archetypical, beyond all praise, blameless, cautionary, cautioning, characteristic, classic, classical, commendable, consummate, creditable, deserving, deterrent, developed, distinctive, distinguishing, estimable, excellent, expert, finished, fully developed, guiltless, ideal, illustrative, inculpable, innocent, irreprehensible, laudable, masterful, masterly, mature, matured, meritorious, model, monitorial, monitory, natural, naturalistic, normal, noteworthy, notificational, notifying, outstanding, paradigmatic, perfected, polished, praiseworthy, precedential, proficient, prototypal, pure, quintessential, realistic, refined, regular, representative, righteous, ripe, ripened, sample, standard, superior, t, true to form, true to type, typal, typic, typical, unblamable, unexceptionable, usual, virtuous, warning, well-deserving, worthy