model 1 of 3

Definition of modelnext

model

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adjective

model

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun model differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of model are example, exemplar, ideal, and pattern. While all these words 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

When could example be used to replace model?

The meanings of example and model largely overlap; however, 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

Where would exemplar be a reasonable alternative to model?

The synonyms exemplar and model are sometimes interchangeable, but exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

When might ideal be a better fit than model?

The words ideal and model are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

In what contexts can pattern take the place of model?

Although the words pattern and model have much in common, pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

American industry set a pattern for others to follow

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of model
Noun
The model revealed their engagement in December 2024, sharing a post featuring highlights from the family's holiday season together. Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 The department official argued that students with disabilities should be supported by an education model agency. Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 16 June 2026
Adjective
Ackman sees that restructuring as a pivot to a multi-model architecture that can better suit the needs of its enterprise customers. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 15 May 2026 Nicola’s parents, billionaire Nelson and his ex-model wife Claudia Heffner, were sued over the family pet about a year and a half ago. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
Verb
Search a car's make or model to check if the vehicle has been recalled. Melina Khan, USA Today, 9 June 2026 Lively recently had her husband Ryan Reynolds model a mini Hermès Kelly bag. Lara Walsh, InStyle, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for model
Recent Examples of Synonyms for model
Noun
  • But the country’s key tool for suppressing the pest — a facility that breeds sterile flies to halt reproduction of the parasite — isn’t slated to begin operating until November 2027.
    Ilena Peng, Fortune, 13 June 2026
  • Perhaps Abby pursues the reproduction of human experience to counter the void of her own life.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • The show highlights Wu’s new venture, Atomic Lab, a platform for limited-edition collectible dolls inspired by fashion and pop culture.
    Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 10 June 2026
  • Inside, Sophie loves to play with her baby dolls and stuffed animals.
    Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • Since his Pop Art paintings in the early ‘60s at London’s Royal College of Art, Hockney was rarely out of the limelight and, more importantly, rarely out of fresh ideas for how to draw, paint, film, print, photograph or otherwise express his creativity.
    Barbara Isenberg, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
  • In the end, an inexperienced minor – who has no idea who hired them – pulls the trigger.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 June 2026
Adjective
  • For a classic SoHo pastime, walk the shopping streets of Canal and Broadway– then back down Spring and place your bags back at the hotel.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 June 2026
  • As classic cars prepare to roll onto the Mother Road and communities across eight states launch centennial celebrations, organizers hope the milestone serves not only as a tribute to history but as a call to preserve what comes next.
    Daily News, Daily News, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • The tightly cropped chromatic study harmonized peach (a broom leaning against a wall to the woman’s right), persimmon (her intricately patterned piqué dress), auburn (her voluminous hair), and faded ocher (the surrounding architecture).
    James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • Rather than scrap her vision for a statement patterned wall entirely, Nakamoto decided to add some wood trim around the wallpaper, almost like a frame, and the whole thing was solved with a trip to The Home Depot and some cutting.
    Sarah Everett, The Spruce, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Inside are a series of smaller, more intimate rooms frescoed with Pompeian miniatures, and decorated with period furniture and family heirlooms.
    Ruchira Sharma, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 June 2026
  • For decades, Reiner did what those numbers describe in miniature.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • Next to a limp rack of sleeveless tops stands a postapocalyptic forager-warrior mannequin in jeans, a faded plaid shirt, and a black baseball cap from the plus-size-women’s brand Torrid.
    Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
  • Accuracy in the mannequins’ proportions was essential, Wu said, noting how dramatically body sizes shifted across eras.
    Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • There are two dogs, for example, in Bartholomeus van Bassen’s painting of an imagined church interior with the tomb of William the Silent (pictured above, 1620).
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • The 1961 legislation establishing the Seashore saved the land from development and gave the public a pristine example of what the popular peninsula looked like before the Pilgrims arrived in Provincetown and before the birth of the nation.
    USA TODAY Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Model.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/model. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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