exposure

American  

[ik-spoh-zher] / ɪkˈspoʊ ʒər /

noun

• exposures
  plural

1. the act of exposing, laying open, or uncovering.

   the sudden exposure of objects that were hidden under the blanket.

   Antonyms:

   concealment

2. the fact or state of being exposed.

   A bandage will avoid exposure of the wound.

3. disclosure, as of something private or secret.

   the exposure of their invasion plans.

   Synonyms:

   exposé, revelation, divulgement

4. an act or instance of revealing or unmasking, as an impostor, crime, or fraud.

   the exposure of graft and corruption.

5. presentation to view, especially in an open or public manner.

   His exposure of his anger shocked the company.

   Synonyms:

   display

6. indecent exposure.

   The suspect was arrested for exposure in public.

7. a laying open or subjecting to the action or influence of something.

   The exposure of his theories to ridicule destroyed his self-confidence.

8. the condition of being exposed to danger, harm, etc..

   exposure to toxic mold;

   exposure to a deadly disease.

9. the condition of being exposed without protection to the effects of harsh weather, especially the cold.

   to suffer from exposure.

10. Photography.

    1. the act of presenting a photosensitive surface to rays of light.

    2. the total amount of light received by a photosensitive surface or an area of such a surface, expressed as the product of the degree of illumination and the period of illumination.

    3. the image resulting from the effects of light rays on a photosensitive surface.

11. situation with regard to sunlight or wind; aspect.

    a southern exposure.

12. a putting out or deserting, especially of a child, without shelter or protection; abandonment.

13. something exposed, as to view; an exposed surface.

    exposures of rock.

14. public appearance, notice, attention, mention, or discussion, especially in the media.

    great ways to gain exposure for your products on TV and on the internet.

15. a prominent, often overextended position or commitment, as in investment, that is considered precarious and risky.

    The bank was nervous about its exposure in Iran.

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exposure British  

/ ɪkˈspəʊʒə /

noun

1. the act of exposing or the condition of being exposed

2. the position or outlook of a house, building, etc; aspect

   the bedroom has a southern exposure

3. lack of shelter from the weather, esp the cold

   to die of exposure

4. a surface that is exposed

   an exposure of granite

5. mountaineering the degree to which a climb, etc is exposed See exposed

6. photog

   1. the act of exposing a photographic film or plate to light, X-rays, etc

   2. an area on a film or plate that has been exposed to light, etc

   3. ( as modifier )

      exposure control

7. photog

   1. the intensity of light falling on a photographic film or plate multiplied by the time for which it is exposed

   2. a combination of lens aperture and shutter speed used in taking a photograph

      he used the wrong exposure

8. appearance or presentation before the public, as in a theatre, on television, or in films

9. See indecent exposure

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonexposure
  noun
• reexposure
  noun
• self-exposure
  noun
• semiexposure
  noun
• postexposure
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• exposures
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of exposure

First recorded in 1595–1605; expose + -ure

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Explanation

If you place someone or something in an environment that causes them to experience something, you can call this exposure. Exposure to sun and rain will cause wood to turn gray. In school, you will be given exposure to the basic principles of math, science and language. The exposure of film to light results in a photograph. Sometimes, exposure is used without explicitly saying what something or someone was exposed to. It is simply implied. When a celebrity is given lots of exposure, it is well-known that the media is involved. If you die of exposure, it's understood that the harsh elements of the weather was meant. And if your house has a southern exposure, you know that this is the side where the sun shines.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exposure exposures

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which carries relatively little exposure to tech, edged lower by 0.3%, or 175 points.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Now, a Jefferies market intelligence analyst interprets the current wobble as one of the last attractive opportunities to build exposure ahead of what he expects to be a strong November and December.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

However, that exposure will grow if Anthropic goes public because its shares would become included in several stock indices, including the Russell 3000, which New York City tracks for its own investments.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

The lie collapsed with almost embarrassing speed, and the people who spread it now face potential legal exposure.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026

Capable, even, of withstanding significant exposure to radiation.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

It is weighing additional optional exclusions for other AI-related exposures, including agentic AI, according to a Verisk spokeswoman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The findings highlight the need to investigate cancer risk throughout life, including the possibility that exposures during childhood or even before birth may influence disease decades later.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Transportation margins help provide a measure of direct consumer-price exposures because they represent the final movement of goods from producer to purchaser.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

There is no evidence that even reasonably high dietary exposures to acrylamide cause health problems like cancer.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

I usually carried with me six loaded plates, which allowed me only six exposures, so that clicking the shutter even once was a serious business that had to be carefully thought out before-hand.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl

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Related Words

• disclosure
• hazard
• liability
• publicity
• risk
• vulnerability

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