exposition

[ ek-spuh-zish-uhn ]

/ ˌɛk spəˈzɪʃ ən /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: exposition / expositional on Thesaurus.com

noun

a large-scale public exhibition or show, as of art or manufactured products: an exposition of 19th-century paintings; an automobile exposition.

the act of expounding, setting forth, or explaining: the exposition of a point of view.

writing or speech primarily intended to convey information or to explain; a detailed statement or explanation; explanatory treatise: The students prepared expositions on familiar essay topics.

the act of presenting to view; display: The singer gave a splendid exposition of vocal talent.

exposure (def. 12).

the state of being uncovered, revealed, or otherwise exposed; exposure.

Music. the first section of a fugue or a sonata form, in which the principal themes normally are introduced.

(in a play, novel, etc.) dialogue, description, etc., that gives the audience or reader the background of the characters and the present situation.

OTHER WORDS FOR exposition

1 exhibit, demonstration, display, presentation.

3 elucidation, commentary; critique, interpretation, exegesis, explication.

See synonyms for exposition on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of exposition

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English exposicioun, exposicyon, from Old French exposition, from Latin expositiōn- (stem of expositiō “exposure (of an infant to die); statement, description),” equivalent to exposit(us); + -iōn- ; see expose,-ion

OTHER WORDS FROM exposition

ex·po·si·tion·al, adjectivepre·ex·po·si·tion, nounre·ex·po·si·tion, noun

Words nearby exposition

export reject, exposal, expose, exposed, exposit, exposition, expositor, expository, exposome, ex post, ex post facto

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use exposition in a sentence

Foreign policy briefing Today’s WorldView and a suite of 202-branded politics newsletters contain more analysis and exposition from their authors.
The Washington Post wants three minutes of your morning to read (or listen to) its newsletter|Sara Guaglione|September 8, 2021|Digiday
It’s not Old’s constant exposition that’s the problem so much as the unending, clunky over-explanation.
M. Night Shyamalan returns with Old, a floppy but haunting thriller about aging|Alissa Wilkinson|July 23, 2021|Vox
According to a Rolling Stone profile of Thompson, the filmmakers determined the moment distracted from the scene’s exposition.
How Loki's Bisexuality Fits Into the History of LGBTQ+ Representation in the MCU|Eliana Dockterman|June 23, 2021|Time
My favorite ranks this low in the first game mostly because she suffers from having to be an exposition machine for two entire races — the Quarians and the Geth.
Every ‘Mass Effect’ squadmate, ranked from a storytelling perspective|Jhaan Elker|June 4, 2021|Washington Post

Tali, who is now untethered from exposition duty, gets the best loyalty mission in the game.
Every ‘Mass Effect’ squadmate, ranked from a storytelling perspective|Jhaan Elker|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
All this shows the real problem when telling the story of geniuses: exposition.
Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius?|Clive Irving|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the hands of a lessor actor, she might have even seemed like an exposition machine.
Welcome to Snowpiercer’s Apocalypse|Teo Bugbee|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Recently, ProPublica wrote a deep and haunting exposition on the re-segregation of schools in the South, including Tuscaloosa.
How Charter Schools and Testing Regimes Have Helped Re-Segregate Our Schools|Sally Kohn|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The New American Commentary: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, Volume 1A, Genesis 1-11:26.
The Backstory of ‘Noah’ Is Full of Giants, Horny Angels, and a Grieving God|Tim Townsend|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Those bored by exposition who like action and dialogue written in the present tense will eat these up.
The Man With Stories to Tell|Allen Barra|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Chanson," exhibited at the Paris Exposition, 1900, displays something of the same quality.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
To guide his mind into the channel of the printed exposition, he calls into play the Directory power of the attention.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
Martin Falleix obtained a brevet for invention and a gold medal at the Exposition of 1824.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
Following description, in order of difficulty, come exposition and argument.
English: Composition and Literature|W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
The expression of such thoughts would be exposition, although it might contain a number of stories and descriptions.
English: Composition and Literature|W. F. (William Franklin) Webster

British Dictionary definitions for exposition

exposition

/ (ˌɛkspəˈzɪʃən) /

noun

a systematic, usually written statement about, commentary on, or explanation of a specific subject

the act of expounding or setting forth information or a viewpoint

a large public exhibition, esp of industrial products or arts and crafts

the act of exposing or the state of being exposed

the part of a play, novel, etc, in which the theme and main characters are introduced

music the first statement of the subjects or themes of a movement in sonata form or a fugue

RC Church the exhibiting of the consecrated Eucharistic Host or a relic for public veneration

Derived forms of exposition

expositional, adjective

Word Origin for exposition

C14: from Latin expositiō a setting forth, from expōnere to display; see exponent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

exposition

OTHER WORDS FOR exposition

Origin of exposition

OTHER WORDS FROM exposition

Words nearby exposition

Words related to exposition

How to use exposition in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for exposition

Derived forms of exposition

Word Origin for exposition