To exemplify means to be a perfect example of something, or to illustrate an idea by giving specific examples. When your behavior exemplifies good sportsmanship, you're showing exactly what good sportsmanship looks like: shaking hands after a game, encouraging teammates, and accepting losses gracefully.

Think about a teacher explaining the concept of perseverance. She might exemplify it by telling the story of Thomas Edison, who tried many times before successfully inventing the light bulb. His story exemplifies perseverance because it shows exactly what the word means in action.

A student who always arrives prepared, listens carefully, and helps classmates exemplifies what teachers hope to see. A well-organized research paper exemplifies good writing. The Grand Canyon exemplifies natural beauty. In each case, the person or thing serves as a clear, outstanding representation of a quality or idea.

You can also use exemplify when you deliberately choose examples to explain something. When writing an essay about courage, you might exemplify your point by describing firefighters running into burning buildings or Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat.

The related noun is exemplar, meaning a model example worth following or studying.