Example teaches more than precept.
Example teaches more than precept.
Meaning in plain English
What people see you do can teach more powerfully than what you tell them to do. Let your conduct support your instructions rather than expecting words alone to establish a useful habit.
Example
A workshop leader demonstrates careful crediting of borrowed material while asking participants to acknowledge their sources, rather than only listing a rule they ignore themselves.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Precept means an instruction or stated rule, while example is the behaviour someone can actually observe. The proverb gives practical conduct special weight in learning. If a person asks for patience while repeatedly interrupting others, the visible pattern may undermine the stated advice. It does not make explanations unnecessary or prove that copying an action is always the best way to learn. Reasons, questions and appropriate guidance still matter. The useful comparison is between a rule presented in words and the everyday conduct that shows what the speaker expects in practice, including how they respond when they make a mistake.
When to use it
Use it when instruction needs a consistent practical demonstration.
Keep in mind
Example does not replace explanation or suitable guidance, and not every observed behaviour should be copied.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 514 · Example
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗