exhibition

American  

[ek-suh-bish-uhn] / ˌɛk səˈbɪʃ ən /

noun

• exhibitions
  plural

1. an exhibiting, showing, or presenting to view.

2. a public display, as of the work of artists or artisans, the products of farms or factories, the skills of performers, or objects of general interest.

3. an exposition or large fair of extended duration, as a world's fair.

4. British. an allowance given to a student in a college, university, or school, usually upon the result of a competitive examination.

5. Medicine/Medical Obsolete. administration, as of a remedy.

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exhibition British  

/ ˌɛksɪˈbɪʃən /

noun

1. a public display of art, products, skills, activities, etc

   a judo exhibition

2. the act of exhibiting or the state of being exhibited

3. to behave so foolishly in public that one excites notice or ridicule

4. an allowance or scholarship awarded to a student at a university or school

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exhibition Idioms  

1. see make an exhibition of oneself.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonexhibition
  noun
• preexhibition
  noun
• reexhibition
  noun
• self-exhibition
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• exhibitions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of exhibition

1275–1325; Middle English exhibicion < Late Latin exhibitiōn- (stem of exhibitiō ) a presenting. See exhibit, -ion

Explanation

An exhibition is a collection of items for public display, like an exhibition of children’s artwork, antique vases, or memorabilia from a science fiction movie series. In the 19th century, exhibition was used to refer to a collection of objects, while exhibit designated a single item in an exhibition. Nowadays, exhibition and exhibit are often used interchangeably. Exhibition comes from the Latin ex-, meaning "out," and habere, meaning "hold" — as objects in an exhibition are "held out," or shown, to the public. The h in "hold out" might help you remember to include the h when spelling exhibition.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exhibition exhibitions

Kusama studied Japanese painting in Kyoto, against her parents' wishes, and held her first solo exhibition in 1952 in her hometown of Matsumoto in central Japan.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

The roaring success of the exhibition led to a huge transformation in how she was received both in Japan and abroad.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

She suggests looking for affordable vintage oil paintings, exhibition posters or framed sketches at antique markets, then securing them with command strips so they can be removed without leaving holes in the plaster.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

In her 70s, Castañeda testified before state legislators about her experience, excerpts of which appear in the exhibition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

Gauguin calls them the key to the exhibition.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

The videos were taken at defensive weapon exhibitions all across the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

During questioning, Ms. Hartig claimed that the museum has “a dozen exhibitions that include the founding era.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Trained at the Royal College of Art in London, Sinnott enjoyed great success in the 1980s with exhibitions at prominent galleries in London and the United States.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Gunther von Hagens, the creator of the controversial "Body Worlds" exhibitions where dissected human and animal bodies were displayed, has died at the age of 81, according to his family.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Meme bore up under the exhibitions with the same stoicism that she had dedicated to her apprenticeship.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez