Exemplar
Etymology
From Latin exemplar, “model, pattern, copy,” from exemplum, “sample, example,” from eximere, “to take out” (ex-, “out,” + emere, “to take”). An example is literally something “taken out” of a group to stand for the rest.
noun · /ig-ZEM-plar/
A typical or representative example, or a model worth imitating.
What it names
The go-to specimen that shows what a whole category is like — useful precisely because it is representative rather than exceptional.
Example
The professor kept one essay as an exemplar so students could see what a strong argument looked like.
Related idea
An exemplar is representative — a fair sample of the type; a paragon is the ideal, the finest possible case.