expository
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of expository
From the Medieval Latin word expositōrius, dating back to 1590–1600. See expositor, -tory 1
Explanation
The first few minutes of a first date typically consist of expository chit-chat, meaning that that's when people fill each other in on the basics: where they're from, what they studied in school, and what they want to be when they grow up. It's background info. A synonym for expository is explanatory. It might help to relate the words, as expository dialogue usually exists to give the audience an explanation of a character's previous actions. The challenge for a playwright is to communicate exposition by crafting expository dialogue that isn't boring. It's often a sign of amateur writing when the expository information stands out as just that. The experienced writer can hide the expository information inside the action and other speeches.
Vocabulary lists containing expository
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The poem proceeds by image and association rather than expository logic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Our first indication that he might not be like the other goons with badges is shown in his expository flashback.
From Salon • May 26, 2025
Plus, coming into “Dune: Prophecy” as a stone-cold uninitiate is a challenge for which the script compensates using a combination of summary via narration and a brief, expository title card.
From Salon • Nov. 17, 2024
Herzog’s adaptation prunes away the expository overgrowth of Ibsen’s satiric drama.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2024
Structural parallelism works not just in poetic and hortatory passages but also in ordinary expository prose.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
