pre-noun adjectival
the usual; that typical
Refers to something that is habitual, expected, or characteristic of a person or situation. Often used when both speaker and listener share an understanding of what is meant.
彼は今日も例のカフェでコーヒーを飲んでいる。
He's having coffee at that usual café again today.
pre-noun adjectival
That person (you know who) came again.
Points to a specific person, thing, or matter previously mentioned or implicitly understood between speaker and listener, often with a conspiratorial or euphemistic tone.
例の件、どうなった？
What happened with that matter we talked about?
in the usual way
Archaic adverbial use; in modern Japanese the pre-noun adjectival form is standard.
古い文書では「例のごとく」のように副詞的に使われることがある。
In old documents it is sometimes used adverbially, as in 例のごとく (as usual).
例の場所で待ち合わせしよう。
Let's meet at the usual place.
Has that thing (you know what I mean) been resolved yet?
law of multiple proportions
Compound of 例 (rei, 'example, precedent') + possessive particle の (no). The adverbial sense is an archaic extension.