SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
embody
verb
To give a concrete form to an idea or represent it fully.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Give concrete expression
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topExemplify illustrates a quality; embody suggests that the quality is fully expressed in the thing itself.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See embody in use
The welcome center was designed to embody the town's hospitality.
The illustrator later shared an exemplary poster in a workshop, explaining why its limited elements worked well together. She wanted it to embody the principle that clarity could be visually engaging, not to suggest that every future design should look the same.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license