model

1 of 3

noun

mod·​el ˈmä-dᵊl How to pronounce model (audio)
1
: a usually miniature representation of something
a plastic model of the human heart
also : a pattern of something to be made
2
a
: a type or design of product (such as a car)
offers eight new models for next year, including a completely restyled convertible
b
: a type or design of clothing
girls, self-conscious in their Paris modelsPaul Bowles
3
: a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a mathematical description of an entity or state of affairs
also : a computer simulation (see simulation sense 3a) based on such a system
climate models
4
5
: an example for imitation or emulation
his written addresses are models of clearness, logical order, and styleA. B. Noble
6
: one who is employed to display clothes or other merchandise
has appeared as a model in ads for swimsuits
7
: a person or thing that serves as a pattern for an artist
especially : one who poses for an artist
His wife served as the model for many of his paintings.
8
: version sense 2
an experimental model of a bionic arm
9
: a description or analogy used to help visualize something (such as an atom) that cannot be directly observed
10
: structural design
a home on the model of an old farmhouse
11
: an organism whose appearance a mimic imitates
12
13
dialectal British : copy, image
14
obsolete : a set of plans for a building

model

2 of 3

verb

modeled or modelled; modeling or modelling
ˈmäd-liŋ,
ˈmä-dᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce model (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to construct or fashion in imitation of a particular model
modeled its constitution on that of the U.S.
2
a
: to shape or fashion in a plastic material
modeling figures from clay
b
: to produce a representation or simulation (see simulation sense 3a) of
using a computer to model a problem
3
: to display by wearing, using, or posing with
modeled gowns
4
: to plan or form after a pattern : shape
legislative institutions primarily modeled on the English pattern
5
archaic : to make into an organization (such as an army, government, or parish)

intransitive verb

1
: to work or act as a fashion or art model
Each contestant modeled in front of the judges.
2
: to design or imitate forms : make a pattern
The students are modeling in clay.
modeler noun
or less commonly modeller
ˈmäd-lər,
ˈmä-dᵊl-ər How to pronounce model (audio)

model

3 of 3

adjective

1
: serving as or capable of serving as a pattern
a model student
2
: being a usually miniature representation of something
a model airplane
Choose the Right Synonym for model

model, example, pattern, exemplar, ideal 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

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

pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

American industry set a pattern for others to follow

exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

Examples of model in a Sentence

Noun She's building a model of the Earth for science class. a plastic model of the human heart We've improved on last year's model, making the car safer and easier to control. He bought one of the old 1965 models. We couldn't afford one of the fancy TVs and had to buy the standard model. We've developed a computer model of the economy to predict what will happen in the future. Companies are developing new business models. Verb The faces of the gods were modeled in white stone. They're modeling this year's new spring fashions. She got a job modeling shoes for a catalog company. a fashion model who has angered animal lovers by modeling fur coats Adjective Our university has a model program for training its athletes. why can't you be like your sister, who is such a well-behaved model child?
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Leiweke-Bodie says the model is key to driving expansion opportunities into Africa, Asia and the Middle East, where huge gaps in the world’s touring infrastructure prevent popular arena and stadium tours from accessing hundreds of millions of fans. Dave Brooks, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024 But this is the first time the brand has used titanium for its groundbreaking model. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024 Shift on the fly four-wheel drive adds around $3,500, depending on the model. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 19 Mar. 2024 The model and actress stars alongside Genevieve Gaunt and Georgia Lock in the film, which delves into the story of a young woman seeking to uncover the truth of her friend’s suicide. Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 Its success was seen as a sign of hope for an old-school model of TV. Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Musk has previously said a prototype for the next-generation model should be unveiled by the end of this year, with production starting in 2025. William Gavin, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024 The model was spotted shopping in the Cotswolds in a lowkey look that also held a piece of fashion history. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024 That might mean generating a three-dimensional video by simply speaking to a computer, relying on models that are have as many as 1 trillion parameters. Ian King, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024
Verb
Winners take home $10,000 and have their designs modeled by Fox. Jack Dunn, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 After seeing Ohtani modeling a Porsche Taycan, Lee bought one in the same color. Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Another way to model appropriate online behavior is through your use of social media, says Erin O’Connor, EdD, a professor in teaching and learning at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and Chief of Education at Cooper. Sarah Scott, Parents, 12 Mar. 2024 Hadid's latest public outing came on the heels of her return to modeling after a long break to prioritize her health. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Yet our community frequently fails to critically interrogate how a commitment to those myths harms other Black people who do not, or cannot model those things. Olayemi Olurin, Essence, 11 Mar. 2024 These laws followed, and in some cases were modeled on, state-level zoning changes that have already swept through legislatures in California and Oregon dominated by Democrats. Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 He was previously married to model Jerry Hall from 2016 to 2022. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Ice Spice modeled an array of chic looks as part of the Nocturna collection’s debut, which rolled out on Thursday (March 7). Michael Saponara, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2024
Adjective
What was once a holy ground shepherded by a rapturous man simply known as Pastor (Steven Pasquale), model evangelical teen Dawn O’Keefe (Alyse Alan Louis) and her angelic group of Promise Keeper Girls morphs into a breeding ground for sin. Brittani Samuel, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 In that decade the Beehive State earned a reputation as a model red state for uniting religious, business, and immigrant advocacy groups, says Dr. Hofmann. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 The researchers fed their model individual video frames and a transcript of things people said at that time. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024 Nguyen explained that the creation of the school designation in 2007 was the result of work from activists and scholars, who sought to address the fallacy of the model minority myth. Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 27 Sep. 2023 Built on the remains of an 18th-century garrison, about 30 miles northwest of Prague, it was advertised as a model Jewish community—a cruel and cynical feat of Nazi planning. Douglas Starr, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023 There is, alas, little reason other than wishful thinking to expect that other nations will evolve along Whiggish lines into model Western-style democracies. Max Boot, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2023 His low-maintenance mentality and consistent approach helped the Spurs be the model NBA franchise for almost 20 years. Andrew Birkle, Detroit Free Press, 16 May 2023 The firm has also previously sued the state education department because its model ethnic studies curriculum contained an affirmation that the firm claimed constituted an Aztec prayer. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'model.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle French modelle, from Old Italian modello, from Vulgar Latin *modellus, from Latin modulus small measure, from modus

First Known Use

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 14

Verb

1613, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4

Adjective

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of model was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near model

Cite this Entry

“Model.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/model. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

model

1 of 3 noun
mod·​el ˈmäd-ᵊl How to pronounce model (audio)
1
a
: a small but exact copy of something
a ship model
b
: a pattern or figure of something to be made
clay models for a statue
2
: a person who sets a good example
a model of politeness
3
a
: a person or thing that serves as an artist's pattern
especially : a person who poses for an artist or photographer
b
: a person who wears in the presence of customers garments that are for sale or who poses for ads for merchandise (as clothes)
4
: type entry 1 sense 2b, kind
our car is a late model
5
a
: a description or construction used to help form a picture of something (as an atom) that cannot be seen directly
a model of a DNA molecule
b
: a computer simulation
climate models

model

2 of 3 verb
modeled or modelled; modeling or modelling ˈmäd-liŋ How to pronounce model (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to plan or shape after a pattern
2
: to make a model : mold
3
: to act or serve as a model
modeler noun
or modeller
ˈmäd-lər,
-ᵊl-ər

model

3 of 3 adjective
1
: serving as or worthy of being a pattern
a model student
2
: being a miniature copy of something
a model airplane

Medical Definition

model

1 of 2 noun
mod·​el ˈmäd-ᵊl How to pronounce model (audio)
1
a
: a pattern of something to be made : a cast of a tooth or oral cavity
2
: something (as a similar object or a construct) used to help visualize or explore something else (as the living human body) that cannot be directly observed or experimented on see animal model
3
: a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a mathematical description of an entity or state of affairs

model

2 of 2 transitive verb
modeled or modelled; modeling or modelling ˈmäd-liŋ, -ᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce model (audio)
: to produce (as by computer) a representation or simulation of

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