Exemple

Exemple is the French noun for "example." It designates a representative instance used to illustrate a rule, concept, or point. The word is masculine, and its plural form is exemples. In everyday usage, the phrase par exemple means "for example," and à titre d'exemple can introduce a sample or demonstration. Exemples are commonly used in education, writing, and discussion to clarify meaning or to support an argument.

Etymology and cognates: Exemple comes from the Latin exemplum, meaning a sample or model. It entered French via Old French and shares a common origin with the English word example. The related adjective exemplaire can refer to a specimen, a copy, or something that serves as a model.

Usage and context: In dictionaries and textbooks, a typical entry presents an exemple to show how a word is used or how a grammatical rule applies. In academic writing, it is common to provide an exemple to illustrate a concept or method. In logic and mathematics, a concrete exemple may be used to demonstrate a proposition, though formal terminology often favors language like "a concrete instance" or "a counterexample" when appropriate.

Variants and related terms: The compound exemple-type expresses a typical or representative instance. Exemplaire, another related term, generally means a physical copy or specimen and can also evoke the idea of a model or exemplary item. In English, the cognate exemplar or example is used, reflecting the shared Latin root. Exemples are not usually used as proper nouns.