1. a short story or anecdote used to illustrate a moral or religious point
Usage: literary; often used in medieval literature and sermons

Examples

• The preacher told an exemplum about a greedy merchant to warn against avarice.
• Medieval sermons often included an exemplum to make abstract concepts more relatable.
• The exemplum of the Good Samaritan illustrates the virtue of compassion.
• Teachers in the Middle Ages used exempla to convey moral lessons to their students.
• The collection contained dozens of exempla drawn from classical and biblical sources.
• Each exemplum in the manuscript was carefully chosen to support the theological argument.