Definition of modelnext

model

2 of 3

adjective

model

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun model differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of model are example, exemplar, ideal, and pattern. While all these words mean "someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation," model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation.

a decor that is a model of good taste

When could example be used to replace model?

The meanings of example and model largely overlap; however, example applies to a person to be imitated or in some contexts on no account to be imitated but to be regarded as a warning.

children tend to follow the example of their parents

Where would exemplar be a reasonable alternative to model?

The synonyms exemplar and model are sometimes interchangeable, but exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

When might ideal be a better fit than model?

The words ideal and model are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

In what contexts can pattern take the place of model?

Although the words pattern and model have much in common, pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

American industry set a pattern for others to follow

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of model
Noun
For PewDiePie, however, the project has also become an unusual case study in the tension between that open, local approach and the restrictions imposed by the companies developing the largest AI models. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026 For each TikTok, Moore animated Janie by feeding the still dorm room image into AI video model MiniMax H3. — Jesse Watson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The cabin also remains largely the same as the E-Ray’s, with only minor model-year updates. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026 Initial deliveries will begin in South Korea in late 2026, followed by an official rollout to the United States, UK, Europe, and Australian markets in the first half of 2027 as a 2028 model-year vehicle. — New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
Leaders should model these behaviors consistently, recognize employees who demonstrate them and reinforce them through training and feedback. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 If tensions heighten with an adversary, for example, the United States could model potential attacks on its own grid to figure out which vulnerabilities, if exploited, would wreak the most havoc. — Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for model
Recent Examples of Synonyms for model
Noun
  • This exhibit displays body parts and specimens crucial to human development and reproduction.
    — Emma Hall October 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • On the editorial side, this includes the licenses for reproductions in books like exhibition catalogs, scholarly tomes, and even the covers of novels, as well as publications, for news coverage and criticism for exhibitions as well as general use.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • There was such a bizarre synergy between that film and being the same namesake as this doll.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
  • For much of her early life, that single question was the most precious gift Laura had ever been given—more cherished than her Barbies or her Baby Alive or her Sunshine family dolls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • As Reynolds notes, this freedom cut against rock’s foundational idea of immediacy, the direct communication of feeling between artist and audience.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Over time, Buddhism introduced ideas of reincarnation and karmic retribution, linking a person's fate after death to their actions in life.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Orlando Bloom’s first big automotive splurge was a classic Porsche—a black 911S from 1973.
    — Brett Berk, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Pair them with a chunky sweater and sneakers, or a classic button-down shirt and heeled booties this season.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, leaflets ordering evacuations pattern the sky like a damned murmuration, and nighttime artillery fire paints striations like inverted fireworks.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers deposit and pattern optical waveguides, which act as tiny pathways for light, on a silicon substrate.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Rhode has continued to expand its cheek category, with a recent collaboration with Alexandra Leclerc to create Pocket Pearl, a miniature, reflective riff on the original formula.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Trader Joe’s is also loaded up with all things miniature this year.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • But the mannequin sporting a naval-grazing Christopher Esber gown begs to differ.
    — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Ryan Lawlor, who came up with the idea for the town’s Halloween scarecrow contest, got the mannequin heads, then searched for the right pair of glass frames and found them in a Dollar Store.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Tyrome Laundersville – who missed his parents in Iowa – is another example of someone who got key help from an adult outside the foster care system.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This edition of the AJC On Campus Roundup looks at one recent example from the University of Georgia, where a study found that people who use social media for investment advice should proceed with caution.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Model.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/model. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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