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

• integrate
• incorporate
• assimilate

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

Even rich gentrifiers embody both use and exchange values. —Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025

Increasingly dismayed, Dudek hatched a plan that seemed to embody his mix of good intentions, hubris and melodrama. —Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025

Shot against the stunning backdrops of New Zealand, the campaign shows how even the smallest moments of a morning ritual — from the hiss of steam to the first swirl of crema — can embody calm and indulgence. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

But the shift may be broader, as newsrooms both describe a cultural shift and, at least in some cases, embody it. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for embody

• blackbody
• samadhi
• somebody
• afterbody
• antibody
• busybody
• everybody
• autoantibody
• bawdy
• body
• gaudy
• khadi

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