What does exampled mean?
"Exampled" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "to example," meaning to illustrate or clarify something by providing an example, or to serve as a typical instance of a quality or type. The verb derives from the noun "example," which traces back through Old French to the Latin "exemplum," meaning a sample or pattern. Although the formation is natural and was once serviceable, "exampled" has largely fallen out of everyday use, displaced by synonyms such as "exemplified" and "illustrated." When encountered today, it tends to appear in older writing or in deliberately formal prose. Its related family remains vibrant, however: "exemplary," "exemplar," and "exemplify" all share the same Latin root and are firmly established in modern English. Readers meeting "exampled" should understand it as an elegant but rare alternative for showing something by means of an illustrative case.
verbPast tense and past participle of the verb "example": to illustrate or demonstrate by means of an example; to serve as a typical instance of something. The verb is rare in modern usage, where "exemplify" or "illustrate" is normally preferred.
- To illustrate or make clear by giving an example.
- To serve as a typical instance or model of something.
"The teacher exampled the new grammar rule with several sentences on the board."
"The instructor exampled the concept with a simple diagram before moving on."
"Her career exampled the possibilities open to women in science at the time."
Before "exemplify" took over the job, English speakers simply said "exampled" — turning one of the language's most familiar nouns into a verb that has all but vanished.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exampled
"Exampled" comes from the verb "example," formed directly from the noun "example." That noun entered Middle English from Old French, ultimately deriving from the Latin "exemplum," meaning a sample, specimen, or pattern, which itself comes from "eximere," to take out. The same Latin root produced the cognates "exemplary," "exemplar," and "exemplify." While the noun flourished, the verb remained marginal, and its past form "exampled" is now rarely seen.
Related word forms
How exampled is actually used
"Exampled" is uncommon and somewhat formal or dated in contemporary English; most writers choose "exemplified" or "illustrated" instead. It appears chiefly in older texts or deliberate stylistic choices.
Easily confused with exampled
"Exemplified" is the standard, common form meaning shown or illustrated by example, whereas "exampled" is a rare, largely archaic variant of the same idea.