embody

verb

em·​body im-ˈbä-dē 

embodied; embodying

transitive verb

1

: to give a body to (a spirit) : incarnate

2

a

: to deprive of spirituality

b

: to make concrete and perceptible

3

: to cause to become a body or part of a body : incorporate

4

: to represent in human or animal form : personify

men who greatly embodied the idealism of American life

—A. M. Schlesinger born 1917

embodier noun

Synonyms

• absorb
• assimilate
• co-opt
• incorporate
• integrate

Examples of embody in a Sentence

The legislature embodied a revenue provision in the new law.

they must embody their ideas in substantial institutions if they are to survive

Recent Examples on the Web

Famous Celebrities: Angelina Jolie, Heidi Klum, Johnny Depp, Kanye West, Laverne Fox and Nicole Kidman The first of the Mutable-sign family, Gemini naturally embodies the essence of versatility and curiosity. —Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2024

The pieces embody glamor as well as effortless elegance equally. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 16 Aug. 2024

Set in the Alentejo region in southern Portugal, where Mateus grew up, Fire of Wind is both earthy and deeply symbolic in its imagery, its characters coming to embody the historical memory of the landscape, still haunted by Salazar’s mid-20th-century dictatorship. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2024

Sitting beside me in her home studio, Aguilera fully embodies that word: grown. —Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 15 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

embody

verb

em·​body im-ˈbäd-ē 

embodied; embodying

1

: to give definite form to

embodied her ideas in suitable words

2

: to cause to become a body or a part of a body or system

the Constitution embodies the fundamental laws of the United States

3

: to represent in visible form

a leader who embodies courage

embodier noun