exemplifying

Exemplifying is the present participle of the verb exemplify. It denotes the act of illustrating or clarifying a point by offering a representative example, or the quality of acting as such an example. In prose, it is used to show how a rule, theory, or phenomenon operates in practice through concrete instances.

Common usage includes phrases like exemplifying a trend or exemplifying the principle of due process. It can function as a participial adjective, as in exemplifying cases, or as part of a verb phrase: the data exemplifying the pattern. It tends to emphasize concreteness and illustration rather than abstract description. The verb exemplify is broader, meaning to illustrate or to serve as a model; exemplifying narrows that focus to the act or instance of providing such a model.

Origin: exemplify comes from Latin exemplificare, based on exemplum meaning an example, with the suffix -fy, and entered English via Middle French and early modern usage in the 16th century. Related terms include illustrate, demonstrate, epitomize, and exemplary. In scholarly writing, exemplifying is a useful way to anchor arguments in specific, observable cases, helping readers see how general claims apply in real-world contexts.