Exemplification

In the philosophy of language, exemplification is a mode of symbolization characterized by the relation between a sample and what it refers to.

Version

v1 · 2026-09-28 · History

Domain-specific #

9348

Domain group

Humanities

Origin domain

Philosophy

Subdomains

Philosophy of Language, Goodman Theory of Symbols → Philosophy

Core Idea

Exemplification is treated here as the recurring socialscienceshumanitiesarts identity summarized by this source-grounded definition: In the philosophy of language, exemplification is a mode of symbolization characterized by the relation between a sample and what it refers to. In the philosophy of language, exemplification is a mode of symbolization characterized by the relation between a sample and what it refers to. Reference is the relation between something "standing for" something else, like the relation between a word and what it denotes.

Scope of Application

• A mode of reference. For instance, when a patch of green paint is used as a colour sample.

• Description. Unlike ostension, which is the act of showing or pointing to a sample, exemplification is possession of a property plus reference to its label (Goodman, 1976).

• Description. For example, if a color sample has the property labelled 'green', then the color sample exemplifies green.

• Description. At its most basic, possession of a property amounts to being correctly referred to by its label.

• A mode of reference. Reference is the relation between something "standing for" something else, like the relation between a word and what it denotes.

Clarity

A clear use of Exemplification names the carrier, the operative relation, and the conditions under which the source treats the identity as present. The minimal definition is In the philosophy of language, exemplification is a mode of symbolization characterized by the relation between a sample and what it refers to.

Manages Complexity

Exemplification compresses multiple socialscienceshumanitiesarts details into a stable diagnostic relation. The source shows both the central mechanism—the sample refers to green by possessing it and thus being referred to by the word denoting it.—and the practical consequence—unlike ostension, which is the act of showing or pointing to a sample, exemplification is possession of a property plus reference to its label (Goodman, 1976).

Abstract Reasoning

1. Type the carrier. Identify the socialscienceshumanitiesarts entities to which the claim applies.
2. State the relation. Use the source-grounded identity: In the philosophy of language, exemplification is a mode of symbolization characterized by the relation between a sample and what it refers to.
3. Check operation and conditions. As a part in ostensive definition, i.e. definition by exemplification of what is defined.
4. Demand recognition evidence. For example, an artist can define a new style by showing works that exemplify it.
5. Test variation.

Knowledge Transfer

Within the home domain. Knowledge about Exemplification transfers literally when a new case preserves the same carrier type, relation, and recognition test. For instance, when a patch of green paint is used as a colour sample. Unlike ostension, which is the act of showing or pointing to a sample, exemplification is possession of a property plus reference to its label (Goodman, 1976). Beyond the home domain. No canonical parent is asserted for Exemplification.

Neighborhood in Abstraction Space

Exemplification sits in a sparse region of the domain-specific corpus (66^th percentile for distinctiveness): few abstractions share its structure, so a faithful description tends to retrieve it precisely.

Family — Unclustered & Miscellaneous (2551 abstractions)

Nearest neighbors

• Montague Grammar — 0.86
• Data element — 0.85
• Valuation (logic) — 0.84
• Referring expression — 0.84
• Categorial Grammar — 0.83

Computed from structural-signature embeddings · 2026-10-08