model

noun

mod·el | \ ˈmä-dᵊl

Definition of model

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a usually miniature representation of something a plastic model of the human heart also : a pattern of something to be made

2a : a type or design of product (such as a car) offers eight new models for next year, including a completely restyled convertible

b : a type or design of clothing girls, self-conscious in their Paris models— Paul Bowles

3 : a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a mathematical description of an entity or state of affairs also : a computer simulation (see simulation sense 3a) based on such a system climate models

4 : archetype

5 : an example for imitation or emulation his written addresses are models of clearness, logical order, and style— A. B. Noble

6 : one who is employed to display clothes or other merchandise has appeared as a model in ads for swimsuits

7 : a person or thing that serves as a pattern for an artist especially : one who poses for an artist His wife served as the model for many of his paintings.

8 : version sense 2 an experimental model of a bionic arm

9 : a description or analogy used to help visualize something (such as an atom) that cannot be directly observed

10 : structural design a home on the model of an old farmhouse

11 : an organism whose appearance a mimic imitates

12 : animal model

13 dialectal British : copy, image

14 obsolete : a set of plans for a building

model

verb

modeled or modelled; modeling or modelling\ ˈmäd-liŋ , ˈmä-dᵊl-iŋ

Definition of model (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to construct or fashion in imitation of a particular model modeled its constitution on that of the U.S.

2a : to shape or fashion in a plastic material modeling figures from clay

b : to produce a representation or simulation (see simulation sense 3a) of using a computer to model a problem

3 : to display by wearing, using, or posing with modeled gowns

4 : to plan or form after a pattern : shape legislative institutions primarily modeled on the English pattern

5 archaic : to make into an organization (such as an army, government, or parish)

intransitive verb

1 : to work or act as a fashion or art model Each contestant modeled in front of the judges.

2 : to design or imitate forms : make a pattern The students are modeling in clay.

model

adjective

Definition of model (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : serving as or capable of serving as a pattern a model student

2 : being a usually miniature representation of something a model airplane

Other Words from model Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing model Learn More About model

Choose the Right Synonym for model

Noun

model, example, pattern, exemplar, ideal mean someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation. model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation. a decor that is a model of good taste example applies to a person to be imitated or in some contexts on no account to be imitated but to be regarded as a warning. children tend to follow the example of their parents pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype. American industry set a pattern for others to follow exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification. cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception. never found a job that matched his ideal

Examples of model in a Sentence

Noun She's building a model of the Earth for science class. a plastic model of the human heart We've improved on last year's model, making the car safer and easier to control. He bought one of the old 1965 models. We couldn't afford one of the fancy TVs and had to buy the standard model. We've developed a computer model of the economy to predict what will happen in the future. Companies are developing new business models. Verb The faces of the gods were modeled in white stone. They're modeling this year's new spring fashions. She got a job modeling shoes for a catalog company. a fashion model who has angered animal lovers by modeling fur coats Adjective Our university has a model program for training its athletes. why can't you be like your sister, who is such a well-behaved model child? See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Fairtility provides its solution in a software as a service (SaaS) model to clinics and fertility centers around the world. — Ganes Kesari, Forbes, 30 June 2022 The model, 49, was photographed in New York City yesterday leaving a filming for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. — Melody Leibner, Harper's BAZAAR, 29 June 2022 In Madrid, the bloc is expected to announce a new, more responsive model that will see a greater number of troops pre-assigned to certain locations and weapons pre-positioned, NATO diplomats said. — Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 29 June 2022 The new winners, seeking to exploit fractal advantage, turn this organizational model—with its five underlying design principles—on its head. — Allison Bailey, Fortune, 28 June 2022 The global production model that Nike pioneered – and prospered from -- has come back to bite the company. — oregonlive, 28 June 2022 The model, called PyR0, analyzed how different viral lineages arose and spread between December 2019 and January 2022. — Sara Reardon, Scientific American, 28 June 2022 Before the incident, Affleck, his son and his fiancée, Jennifer Lopez, were checking out the model, which retails for at least $230,000. — Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2022 The two tone model, priced at $50,000 and limited to just 15 pieces, aren’t made of just any old combination of steel and bronze. — Carol Besler, Robb Report, 27 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Encourage, promote and model creativity as a leader. — Peter Weedfald, Forbes, 30 June 2022 Holmoe has been hesitant to point to any one school as a way BYU will model its additional hires after. — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 22 June 2022 An estimated 200,000 women and children in India are forced into prostitution every year, many lured by opportunities to model or act in films, according to Reuters. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2022 These allow analysts to model or estimate the future prices of these investments. — Rob Wile, NBC News, 22 May 2022 Instead, focus on how your lifestyle affects your kids, as children model their parents’ behavior. — Anchorage Daily News, 14 Apr. 2022 She also was linked to model Charlie Wilson after they were spotted kissing in Los Angeles last fall. — Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, 14 June 2022 Apple TV changes that model with today's announcement. — Samuel Axon And Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 14 June 2022 Koehl and her colleagues have even used flying frogs to help model dinosaur flight. — Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 14 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective That is the model minority myth encapsulated, right? — Serena Puang, BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2022 Most rumors are pointing to this being a Pro-model exclusive, but, as noted above, mass production is still a few months away. — Jacob Siegal, BGR, 26 May 2022 Fossil fuel companies have long been generous donors to foreign policy institutions—a model tech companies are now starting to follow. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 14 June 2022 Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean star as a super-model couple who come from nothing, with beauty as their only ticket to the high life. — Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 May 2022 To support that capability, IBM researchers are working on multi-model pipelines that could accommodate the needs of predictive and prescriptive models. — Paul Smith-goodson, Forbes, 2 May 2022 While this study has not been peer reviewed, these model-comparison techniques have been peer-reviewed in the past and are now widely used and accepted. — New York Times, 23 May 2022 This can be repeated for model simulations of future warming. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 23 May 2022 His first blockbusters are that the iPhone mini line is dead, and only the two Pro-model iPhones will get the new A16 processor. — Sascha Segan, PCMAG, 14 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'model.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More About model

Dictionary Entries Near model

modecca flower

model

model basin

Statistics for model

Last Updated

3 Jul 2022

Cite this Entry

“Model.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/model. Accessed 6 Jul. 2022.

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More Definitions for model

model

noun

mod·el | \ ˈmä-dᵊl

Kids Definition of model

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a small but exact copy of a thing

2 : a pattern or figure of something to be made

3 : a person who sets a good example Their daughter is a model of politeness.

4 : a person who poses for an artist or photographer

5 : a person who wears and displays garments that are for sale

6 : a special type of a product Our car is a recent model.

model

adjective

Kids Definition of model (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : worthy of being imitated a model student

2 : being a miniature copy a model airplane

model

verb

modeled or modelled; modeling or modelling

Kids Definition of model (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : to plan or shape after a pattern This sports car is modeled on a racing car.

2 : to make a model of He learned how to model a dog in clay.

3 : to act or serve as a model She was asked to model for an artist.

Choose the Right Synonym for model

Noun

model, example, and ideal mean something that serves as guidance or imitation. model is used for a thing or person very worthy of imitation. That school system can be a model for the whole state. example usually means that the person, act, or conduct is likely to be copied, even though this may not always be a good thing. Parents are examples for their children. ideal is used for something, either real or imagined, considered to be the best of its kind that can exist. She is the ideal of beauty.

model

noun

mod·el | \ ˈmäd-ᵊl

Medical Definition of model

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a pattern of something to be made : a cast of a tooth or oral cavity

2 : something (as a similar object or a construct) used to help visualize or explore something else (as the living human body) that cannot be directly observed or experimented on — see animal model

3 : a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a mathematical description of an entity or state of affairs

model

transitive verb