Synonyms of exemplar

exemplar

noun

ig-ˈzem-ˌplär 

1

as in example

one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like

the village's Congregational church could serve as an exemplar of the white clapboard church with a steeple that is a fixture in old New England towns

Synonyms & Similar Words

• example
• specimen
• sample
• instance
• illustration
• representative
• exemplification
• case
• prototype
• indication
• case in point
• paradigm
• classic
• evidence
• archetype
• manifestation
• cross section
• microcosm
• locus classicus
• sign

2

as in model

someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation

few of history's heroes were quite the exemplars that generations of schoolteachers made them out to be

Synonyms & Similar Words

• model
• example
• idea
• ideal
• incarnation
• paragon
• manifestation
• patron saint
• classic
• pinnacle
• nonpareil
• nonesuch
• mirror
• eidolon
• personification
• beau ideal
• paradigm
• principle
• phantom
• essence
• archetype
• embodiment
• touchstone
• pink
• role model
• guideline
• epitome
• apotheosis
• standard
• zenith
• apex
• pattern
• rule
• quintessence
• culmination
• summit
• acme
• gauge
• peak

3

as in classic

the most perfect type or example

the paintings of the French painter Claude Monet are often regarded as exemplars of Impressionism

Synonyms & Similar Words

• model
• classic
• ideal
• manifestation
• incarnation
• perfection
• apotheosis
• quintessence
• acme
• epitome
• byword
• prototype
• beau ideal
• zenith
• paradigm
• archetype
• avatar
• paragon
• benchmark
• standard
• height
• personification
• incorporation
• embodiment
• touchstone
• criterion
• ultimate
• abstract
• nonpareil
• meridian
• last word
• yardstick
• embodier

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun exemplar differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of exemplar are example, ideal, model, and pattern. While all these words mean "someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation," exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

Where would example be a reasonable alternative to exemplar?

While the synonyms example and exemplar are close in meaning, 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

When is ideal a more appropriate choice than exemplar?

Although the words ideal and exemplar have much in common, ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

When would model be a good substitute for exemplar?

The synonyms model and exemplar are sometimes interchangeable, but model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation.

a decor that is a model of good taste

When is it sensible to use pattern instead of exemplar?

The words pattern and exemplar can be used in similar contexts, but pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

American industry set a pattern for others to follow

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of exemplar

But the other piece of AISI news last week makes clear just what sort of challenges de Zoete will face—and is indicative of why AISI may not really be the exemplar of savvy AI governance that its boosters like to crow about. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Architect William Levy Alexander designed the three-bedroom home that stands as an exemplar of early 20th-century modernism. — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 19 Aug. 2026

One of this model’s best exemplars is an object known as MoM-BH*-1, first found in JWST images from 2023 and the subject of a paper published today in Nature. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Panegyrists of the American Century would hold up artists such as Pollock as exemplars of the new dynamism, the new liberty of free expression. — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026