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

borrowed from Latin, example entry 1

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