embodiment

embodiment — noun

1. an abstract quality made visible through a person or object that shows it better

1.名詞C1
釋義

an abstract quality made visible through a person or object that shows it better than anything else could

例句

To her students, Mayumi was the living embodiment of patience and kindness.

the living embodiment of + quality

The old stone bridge remains an embodiment of the town's history and character.

同義詞
  • epitome

    focuses on being the perfect example of a quality, often in a slightly more formal or intellectual tone

  • personification

    used only when a person displays a human quality so strongly they seem to 'be' that quality

  • incarnation

    stronger than 'embodiment'; suggests the quality has taken on living, breathing form

  • quintessence

    very formal; refers to the purest, most central form of something

反義詞
  • antithesis

    the exact opposite of a quality; if X is the embodiment of kindness, Y is the antithesis of kindness

文法句型

the embodiment of [quality]

用法筆記

Almost always used with 'of' to name the quality represented. The definite article 'the' is more common than 'an' because the embodiment is usually presented as unique or matchless.

常見錯誤

❌He is an embodiment of kindness.
✅He is the embodiment of kindness.
💡'embodiment' in this sense typically takes the definite article 'the' because it refers to a unique, perfect representation.
❌This book is embodiment of the author's ideas.
✅This book is an embodiment of the author's ideas.
💡The article 'a' or 'the' is always needed before 'embodiment'; it cannot stand alone.

2. the process by which an abstract idea takes on a visible or physical form that p

2.名詞C2
釋義

the process by which an abstract idea takes on a visible or physical form that people can recognise

例句

The ritual dance was an embodiment of cultural traditions that had no written record.

ritual/art as embodiment of tradition

Padma saw her novel as the embodiment of fifteen years of research into her family's history.

同義詞
  • materialization

    focuses on the process of something abstract becoming physically real; less common in everyday use

  • realization

    broader term; can mean making an idea real or achieving a goal; less specific to physical form

文法句型

[noun] + is an embodiment of + [abstract concept]

用法筆記

More technical and abstract than sense 1. Used in academic, artistic, and philosophical discussions. The noun can be countable ('an embodiment of...') or uncountable ('Embodiment is central to her theory of performance').

常見錯誤

❌ 'The building is the embodiment of the architect's vision.' (when you mean a perfect example of quality rather than the process of making it real) — Check whether the focus is on 'perfect example' (sense 1) or 'the process of making something abstract real' (sense 2). In many contexts, sense 1 is the natural choice.