Which definition best describes exemplify?

• A. To serve as a typical example of
• B. To use an example to illustrate or clarify
• C. To embody
• D. To imitate closely

Answer: (A)

Exemplify means to be a typical example that shows a quality or a category. The best choice describes something that serves as a typical example of that thing, because exemplify is about representing a class by its own features rather than simply performing an illustrative act. Using an example to illustrate is related, but that sense focuses on the act of showing or teaching with an example rather than being the example itself. Embodying is broader and can refer to expressing a trait in a person or thing, not necessarily acting as the standard instance. Imitating closely is about copying, not about representing a category through an original. For instance, a painting that exemplifies Romanticism stands as a prime example of that movement.