Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

EXEMPLUM

 - 3 dictionary results
Exemplum at Amazon
Millions of titles, new & used. Qualified orders over $25 ship free
Amazon.com/books

ex⋅em⋅plum

  [ig-zem-pluhm]
Use EXEMPLUM in a Sentence
–noun, plural -pla  [-pluh] .
1. an example or model.
2. an anecdote that illustrates or supports a moral point, as in a medieval sermon.
Origin:
1885–90; < LL, L: lit., a pattern, model, copy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To EXEMPLUM
Exemplum at Amazon
Millions of titles, new & used. Qualified orders over $25 ship free
Amazon.com/books
ex·em·plum   (ĭg-zěm'pləm)   
n.   pl. ex·em·pla (-plə)

  1. An example.

  2. A brief story used to make a point in an argument or to illustrate a moral truth.


[Latin; see example.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

exemplum

short tale originally incorporated by a medieval preacher into his sermon to emphasize a moral or illustrate a point of doctrine. Fables, folktales, and legends were gathered into collections, such as Exempla (c. 1200) by Jacques de Vitry, for the use of preachers. Such exempla often provided the germ or plot for medieval secular tales in verse or prose. The influence of exempla can be seen in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1387-1400) in the haunting "The Pardoner's Tale."

Learn more about exemplum with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see EXEMPLUM on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way