Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of example
"The teacher showed several examples to help us understand how to solve quadratic equations."
In plain English: Examples are specific instances used to show what something looks like or how it works.
"The teacher gave several examples to help the students understand the new rule."
Usage: Use "examples" to refer to specific instances or cases that illustrate a general rule or idea. You can use this plural noun when citing multiple occurrences rather than a single case.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of example
"The teacher asked for an example, but instead she gave examples of how to structure a proper essay."
In plain English: To give examples means to show specific instances of something to make it clearer.
"The teacher asked students to list five examples of irregular verbs during the lesson."
Usage: People often mistakenly use "examples" as a verb to mean showing or illustrating something, but it is never used this way in standard English. Instead, you must use the verbs exemplify, illustrate, or demonstrate when describing the act of serving as an example.
Derived from Latin exemplum, meaning "pattern" or "model," this plural form originally referred to things cited as illustrations of a general rule. It entered English via Old French in the 14th century to denote instances used to demonstrate a point.