exponent
noun
ˈek-ˌspō-
Did you know?
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that exponent and proponent have a lot in common. While the two share visual similarities and closely related definitions, they also have a common ancestor: the Latin ponere, meaning “to put.” Exponent comes from exponere, meaning “to explain, expound, or set forth,” while proponent comes from proponere, meaning “to expose to view, bring to one’s attention, propose.” Today, proponent usually refers to someone who argues in favor of something. Exponent can also refer to someone who is an advocate, but it tends to refer especially to someone who stands out as a shining representative of something. In addition, it has kept its earlier meaning of “one who expounds,” as well as its mathematical symbol meaning.
Synonyms
Examples of exponent in a Sentence
Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 8 June 2024
The exponents of myth seemed to shout from every street corner.
—John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Lawrence sees Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Undersecretary of State George Ball as leading exponents of this outlook.
—Erez Manela, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Those are just powers of 10 with negative exponents: 10-1 = 1/10th.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for exponent 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exponent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Exponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exponent. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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exponent
noun
ˈek-ˌspō-
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