exemplum

noun

ex·​em·​plum ig-ˈzem-pləm 

eg-

plural exempla ig-ˈzem-plə 

eg-

1

: example, model

an exemplum of heroism

2

: an anecdote or short narrative used to point a moral or sustain an argument

Examples of exemplum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2013, the Italian playwright Stefano Massini turned this exemplum into The Lehman Trilogy, an epic five-hour play that was adapted and condensed last year by the director Sam Mendes and playwright Ben Power for the National Theatre in London. —Sarah Churchwell, The New York Review of Books, 11 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

exemplum

noun

ex·​em·​plum ig-ˈzem-pləm 

plural exempla -plə 

: a story used to point out a moral or support an argument