example in WordNet English dictionary

1. an occurrence of something
   "it was a case of bad judgment"; "another instance occurred yesterday"; "but there is always the famous example of the Smiths"
   case  instance  example 
   
2. punishment intended as a warning to others
   "they decided to make an example of him"
   example  deterrent example  lesson  object lesson 
   
3. a task performed or problem solved in order to develop skill or understanding
   "you must work the examples at the end of each chapter in the textbook"
   exercise  example 
   
4. an item of information that is typical of a class or group
   "this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome"; "there is an example on page 10"
   example  illustration  instance  representative 
   
5. something to be imitated
   "an exemplar of success"; "a model of clarity"; "he is the very model of a modern major general"
   exemplar  example  model  good example 
   
6. a representative form or pattern
   "I profited from his example"
   model  example