exempla

noun

plural of exemplum
as in parables

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exempla
  1. parables
  2. fables
  3. anecdotes
  4. narratives
Noun
  • There’s a reason why political stories are often chosen as parables for moral compromise.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As nightmare thought experiments shape the fight over how to govern a multitrillion-dollar industry, some experts say the parables may lead decision-makers astray.
    — Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of parables
Noun
  • From Roma to All Quiet on the Western Front, Netflix has a long history of successfully campaigning for non-English language historical fables—but can this be the studio’s first movie to scoop the top prize?
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Few eras of Greek history compare to the ancient times that the country has become so synonymous with—the cinematic fables of Odysseus, comic-book lore of Leonidas, and philosophic creeds of Socrates are ever-present in pop culture.
    — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of fables
Noun
  • But a band doesn’t earn its New York Times profile on good taste and great anecdotes alone.
    — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
  • These historical anecdotes have a scope that brings to mind the great Russian epics.
    — Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of anecdotes
Noun
  • Research by Harvard Business School Professor Ranjay Gulati found that courageous and effective leaders create positive narratives that guide them through chaos, often recasting their work as a mission.
    — Olivia Ludington, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Those narratives, of course, were only knowable after the fact.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of narratives
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

exegetical
exempla
exemplar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exempla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exempla. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quondam

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All