This noun, which refers to an ideal model of something that can serve as an example, traces back to Middle English, where it came from the Latin “exemplum,” meaning “model, example, copy.” A student may ask for an exemplar of a paper that they can use as a model for their own writing, or a manager might provide an exemplar of a self-review for employees to use as a guide. There’s also an obsolete usage of the word as an adjective, which describes something as exemplary, or commendable.