" exemplar "

1: one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like;

  * e.g., " ... the village's Congregational church could serve as an exemplar of the white clapboard church with a steeple that is a fixture in old New England towns "

•  Synonyms : 

•  case,

•  example,

•  exemplification,

•  illustration,

•  instance,

•  prototype,

•  representative,

•  sample,

•  specimen

•  Antonyms : 

• (N/A)

2: someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation;

  * e.g., " ... few of history's heroes were quite the exemplars that generations of schoolteachers made them out to be "

•  Synonyms : 

•  beau ideal,

•  classic,

•  eidolon,

•  idea,

•  ideal,

•  model,

•  nonesuch,

•  nonpareil,

•  paragon,

•  patron saint

•  Antonyms : 

• (N/A)

3: the most perfect type or example;

  * e.g., " ... the paintings of the French painter Claude Monet are often regarded as exemplars of Impressionism "

•  Synonyms : 

•  acme,

•  apotheosis,

•  beau ideal,

•  byword,

•  classic,

•  epitome,

•  ideal,

•  perfection,

•  quintessence

•  Antonyms : 

• (N/A)