presentation

American  

[prez-uhn-tey-shuhn, pree-zen-] / ˌprɛz ənˈteɪ ʃən, ˌpri zɛn- /

noun

1. an act of presenting.

2. the state of being presented.

3. a social introduction, as of a person at court.

4. an exhibition or performance, as of a play or film.

5. offering, delivering, or bestowal, as of a gift.

6. a gift.

7. a demonstration, lecture, or welcoming speech.

8. a manner or style of speaking, instructing, or putting oneself forward.

   His presentation was very poor.

9. Commerce. the presentment of a bill, note, or the like.

10. Obstetrics.

    1. the position of the fetus in the uterus during labor.

    2. the appearance of a particular part of the fetus at the cervix during labor.

       a breech presentation.

11. Ecclesiastical. the act or the right of presenting a member of the clergy to the bishop for institution to a benefice.

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presentation British  

/ ˌprɛzənˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of presenting or state of being presented

2. the manner of presenting, esp the organization of visual details to create an overall impression

   the presentation of the project is excellent but the content poor

3. the method of presenting

   his presentation of the facts was muddled

4. a verbal report presented with illustrative material, such as slides, graphs, etc

   a presentation on the company results

5. 1. an offering or bestowal, as of a gift

   2. ( as modifier )

      a presentation copy of a book

6. a performance or representation, as of a play

7. the formal introduction of a person, as into society or at court; debut

8. the act or right of nominating a clergyman to a benefice

9. med the position of a baby relative to the birth canal at the time of birth

10. commerce another word for presentment

11. television linking material between programmes, such as announcements, trailers, or weather reports

12. an archaic word for gift

13. philosophy a sense datum

14. (often capital) another name for (feast of) Candlemas

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Other Word Forms

• nonpresentation noun
• presentational adjective
• self-presentation noun

Etymology

Origin of presentation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin praesentātiōn-, stem of praesentātiō “exhibition, showing, nomination to a benefice, religious dedication”; equivalent to present ² + -ation

Explanation

The noun presentation means the official giving, or presenting, of something. The presentation of diplomas at a graduation ceremony is the part that makes many of the parents in the audience cry. A presentation can be a ceremony of giving some gift or award, and it can also be a demonstration or show — like a dog training presentation at your local pet store. Another meaning of presentation is a style of displaying something — like the presentation of plants and flowers in the florist's window or the presentation of food on a buffet table. In the 1600s, presentation was commonly used to mean "show or play," as in "a theatrical presentation."

Example Sentences

The firm noted in a presentation for its equity strategy last month that the valuations of software companies had contracted significantly during the first quarter.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The jewels were shown against stark black dresses created by the house for the presentation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

In a lengthy, public presentation, Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco explained the group’s allegations were inaccurate, based on a misunderstanding of raw data that had not been fully processed.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

When his presentation ended, Eddings found her way to Ritchie and asked if he would consider working with her undergraduate students.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

And for our final assignment, we had to choose someone else’s presentation to reflect on.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

Related Words

• appearance
• delivery
• demonstration
• display
• introduction
• offering
• production
• proposal
• reception
• show
• submission