exposition

[ek-spuh-zish-uh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR exposition 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.

Nearby words

Origin of exposition

1300–50; Middle English exposicioun < Latin expositiōn- (stem of expositiō), equivalent to exposit(us) (see expose) + -iōn- -ion

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for exposition

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
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
But also somebody who could handle a mouthful of exposition and make the words understandable and compelling.
Homeland’s Tracy Letts, Writer of ‘August: Osage County,’ Says Oscar Mania Is Frustrating|Jason Lynch|November 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

There were 200 extras in the room, the cameras were on me, I have long speeches and a lot of exposition and stuff.
Homeland’s Tracy Letts, Writer of ‘August: Osage County,’ Says Oscar Mania Is Frustrating|Jason Lynch|November 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The exposition was a very valuable one, and did not fail to attract a large concourse of people from all parts of the country.
Reminiscences, 1819-1899|Julia Ward Howe.
I cannot, however, avoid this added difficulty in the exposition.
Dream Psychology|Sigmund Freud
The circumstances to which I allude date back to the Exposition of 1844, when I submitted my automata and mechanical curiosities.
Memoirs of Robert-Houdin, ambassador, author and conjurer|Jean Henri Robert-Houdin
Then, anticipating the glories of the Exposition, we congratulated ourselves that we had come.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science|Various
The experiment is not quite as simple as my exposition might lead you to believe.
Popular scientific lectures|Ernst Mach

British Dictionary definitions for exposition

exposition

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 Formsexpositional, 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

Word Origin and History for exposition

exposition

late 14c., "explanation, narration," from Old French esposicion (12c.), from Latin expositionem (nominative expositio) "a setting or showing forth," noun of action from past participle stem of exponere (see expound).

The meaning "public display" is first recorded 1851 in reference to the Crystal Palace Exposition in London. Abbreviation Expo is first recorded 1963, in reference to planning for the world's fair held in Montreal in 1967.