MEANING
1. To give concrete form or expression to a quality, idea, or principle.
2. To include or incorporate something as part of a whole.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- embody an ideal
- embody a conflict
On the page
Her choice embodied the conflict the narration had avoided.
The worn object embodied a history no inscription recorded.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- embody
- Past tense
- embodied
- Past participle
- embodied
- Present participle
- embodying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- embody
- Present continuous
- am/is/are embodying
- Present perfect
- have/has embodied
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been embodying
- Past
- embodied
- Past continuous
- was/were embodying
- Past perfect
- had embodied
- Past perfect continuous
- had been embodying
- Future
- will embody
- Future continuous
- will be embodying
- Future perfect
- will have embodied
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been embodying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: embody; embodies; embodied; embodied; embodying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: embodies.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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