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

She added that MAK had thoroughly reviewed its security measures ahead of the exhibition, "particularly in light of the incidents at major museums in recent years".

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

It was the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1938, and its prestige has never waned.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

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

Open tribute and exhibition with old pals Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Andy Roddick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The walls of the exhibition hall were covered with paintings and drawings, all with animal or environmental messages, made by Roots & Shoots members from different parts of Africa.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Fiona Byrne is a history curator at the Ulster Folk Museum, which follows the Celtic calendar for its events and exhibitions.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

She published several novels in her later years, while her exhibitions continued to draw huge crowds.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Residents say they learned of the scheme only when it was announced in January, and that meetings since have felt like exhibitions rather than consultations.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 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

Rather, they put food on the table by teaching chess, giving exhibitions, operating chess parlors, selling chess sets, and writing books and magazine articles that received small advances.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady