Beispiel

Beispiel is a neuter noun in German that denotes an instance or model used to illustrate a rule, principle, or concept. It can refer to a concrete case, a typical occurrence, or a sample in educational, scientific, or everyday contexts. The plural form is Beispiele, and the related adjective is beispielhaft.

In usage, examples serve to clarify explanations, proofs, or demonstrations. In education, teachers present Beispiele to make abstract ideas tangible. In mathematics and logic, Beispielfälle illustrate statements or methods. In linguistics, example sentences are referred to as Beispielformen or Beispielfragen, with Beispielsatz specifically used for an example sentence. In journalism and publishing, Beispiele are cited to support arguments or to illustrate typical scenarios. The expression das ist ein gutes Beispiel is common to indicate a representative case.

Etymology is typically traced to Middle High German beîspil, beîspíl, with the sense of a display or demonstration. The form Beispiel has appeared in Early New High German and established the current usage as the standard word for a model or illustration.

See also: Exempel (less common in contemporary German for similar use), Muster, Vorbild. Bezeichnung and related terms vary by context, with Beispiel focusing on illustrating or exemplifying a concept, rather than merely describing or listing.