embody means to represent in a physical or concrete form; to incarnate or personify.
embody is pronounced /ɪmˈbɒdi/.
Why “embody” is a great word
To give a concrete, physical, or tangible form to an abstract idea, quality, or principle. From the English prefix em- (a form of en-, meaning "to put into") + body (meaning "a physical form"), first recorded in English 1540–50. Unlike "represent," which suggests a symbolic proxy, or "include," which merely places within a set, to embody is to incarnate. It is the statue that breathes an austere calm, the dancer whose muscles manifest the tension of grief, or the old bridge that is the very patience of stone. The word carries a quiet urgency: it knows that ideas die in the air unless someone breathes them into bone.
Etymology
From Latin em- + body.
verb
- To represent in a physical or concrete form; to incarnate or personify.e.g.“As the car salesman approached, wearing a plaid suit and slicked-back hair, he seemed to embody sleaze.”
- To represent in some other form, such as a code of laws.e.g.“The US Constitution aimed to embody the ideals of diverse groups of people, from Puritans to Deists.”
- To comprise or include as part of a cohesive whole; to be made up of.e.g.“A shunting locomotive embodying an unusual form of power transmission has been developed for the National Coal Board.”
- To unite in a body or mass.
Words closest in meaning
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