noun

das Exemplar, -e

copy · specimen

Ein einzelnes Stück oder Beispiel von etwas, das man zeigt, prüft oder als Vorlage nutzt.

Meaning (in English)

Exemplar (neuter: das Exemplar) means:

A copy of something — especially a single physical instance of a book, newspaper, magazine, document, or product.
- ein Exemplar des Buches = a copy of the book
A specimen / sample item — a particular item taken as representative (e.g., a sample unit, a specimen in a collection).
- ein Exemplar dieser Art = a specimen of this species

In some contexts it can also mean a model example, but in everyday German that idea is more commonly expressed with Vorbild or Musterbeispiel.

Parts / Word formation

Borrowed from Latin exemplar (“model, copy”). In German it functions as a standalone noun:

Exemplar = a copy / specimen
Common related forms:
Belegexemplar = complimentary or deposit copy (e.g., for publishers/authors)
Pflichtexemplar = legal deposit copy submitted to a library
Musterexemplar = sample copy

German synonyms

Depending on meaning:

For “copy”: Ausgabe, Stück, Kopie (less formal), Abzug (for prints)
For “specimen”: Exemplum (rare), Exponat (as an exhibit item), Muster, Probe, Exemplarstück (rare)

German antonyms

No single fixed antonym, but by context:

Opposite of “a copy” (as opposed to non-duplicated): Original
Opposite of “a specimen/example” (as opposed to a single instance): Gesamtheit, Serie (context-dependent)