beispiellhaft

Beispiellhaft is a German-language adjective used to describe something as exemplary or representative, especially in relation to a broader class or category. The term signals that a particular instance, case, or phenomenon embodies typical features and can serve to illustrate or typify wider patterns within an analysis.

Etymology and nuance: Beispiellhaft is formed fromBeispiel (example) with the suffix -haft, which conveys the sense of possessing the quality of. It is closely related to the more common beispielhaft, but beispiellhaft tends to emphasize the exemplar character of the item within a discussion rather than merely its resemble-and-illustrate function.

Usage: Beispiellhaft is relatively rare and tends to appear in formal or academic German, including philosophy, law, linguistics, and the social sciences. It is used when an author wants to flag a specific instance as a paradigmatic illustration of a concept or category. The term distinguishes an item that is not just illustrative but plays a representative role within the analysis.

Related terms: Beispiel, das Beispiel; beispielfall, a term sometimes used to denote a typical or exemplary case; beispielhaft, a more common adjective meaning “exemplary” or “illustrative.” Beispiellhaft thus occupies a niche where the exemplar quality of an item is foregrounded in scholarly writing.