ex·am·ple 
/ɪgˈzæmpəl/ noun
plural ex·am·ples /ɪgˈzæmpəl/ noun 1 : a person or way of behaving that is seen as a model that should be followed [count] ▪ He was inspired by the example of his older brother. [=he wanted to do what his older brother did] ▪ You should try to follow her example. [=try to do as she does] ▪ Let that be an example to you! [=let that show you what you should or should not do] ▪ He set a good/bad example for the rest of us. ▪ It's up to you to set an example. [=to behave in a way that shows other people how to behave] [noncount] ▪ She chooses to lead by example. [=to lead by behaving in a way that shows others how to behave] 2 [count] a : someone or something that is mentioned to help explain what you are saying or to show that a general statement is true
▪ She gave/offered several examples to show that the program is effective.
b : something or someone chosen from a group in order to show what the whole group is like
▪ We've chosen three examples of contemporary architecture for closer study. ▪ a classic example of a Persian rug ▪ a fine/prime example of the artist's work 3 [count] a : a phrase or sentence that shows how a word is used
▪ The dictionary includes thousands of examples.
b : something (such as a problem that a student has to solve) that is used to teach how a rule or process works
▪ arithmetic examples
▪ She gave/offered several examples to show that the program is effective.
b : something or someone chosen from a group in order to show what the whole group is like
▪ We've chosen three examples of contemporary architecture for closer study. ▪ a classic example of a Persian rug ▪ a fine/prime example of the artist's work
▪ The dictionary includes thousands of examples.
b : something (such as a problem that a student has to solve) that is used to teach how a rule or process works
▪ arithmetic examples
for example
— used when you are mentioning a specific person or thing that helps to explain what you are saying or to show that a general statement is true ▪ Things are getting better. Last year, for example [=for instance], the company achieved record sales in Europe. ▪ It was obvious that her memory was failing. For example, she would often forget where she put her car keys. ▪ A lot of my friends were there—John and Linda, for example.
make an example of
◊If you make an example of a person who has done something wrong, you punish that person as a way of warning other people not to do the same thing.
▪ Although it was only his first offense, the judge decided to make an example of him and sentence him to prison.
▪ Although it was only his first offense, the judge decided to make an example of him and sentence him to prison.
