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.

---

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

---

exhibition Idioms  

1. see make an exhibition of oneself.

---

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

The exhibition looks at six Japanese-American designers, only one of whom escaped internment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026

Beyond that thrilling opening spell it was one-way traffic, a vicious exhibition of All Black class and might.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

This exhibition is a triumph, a revelatory love letter to the distinct yet intertwined creative spirits of these two men.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Gagosian’s newest exhibition, opening Wednesday, is titled “Richard Avedon: Hollywood.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

The exhibition would consist of three sets—Wallace’s top three players against Perkins’s best three.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

This, the largest and most comprehensive show to focus on his work, will be accompanied by exhibitions dedicated to Williams at the Getty Research Institute and USC Fisher Museum of Art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026

Gagosian later brought one of Avedon’s exhibitions to the ArtCenter College of Design in 1976 and to Broxton Gallery, his first space in Westwood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Free exhibitions featuring works by artists like Ed Ruscha and Jenny Holzer underscore its mission to make world-class art more accessible to people outside cities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Contemporary artworks not shown in earlier exhibitions continue the gallery’s commitment to staying current.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

He was saving money from his book royalties, tournament winnings, and exhibitions, and he informed his mother that he was doing “real well financially.”

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---