exhibit
Americanverb (used with object)
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exhibits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exhibited,
past participle, past
-
exhibiting
present participle
-
to offer or expose to view; present for inspection.
to exhibit the latest models of cars.
- Synonyms:
- demonstrate, show
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to manifest or display.
to exhibit anger; to exhibit interest.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
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to place on show.
to exhibit paintings.
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to make manifest; explain.
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Law. to submit (a document, object, etc.) in evidence in a court of law.
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Medicine/Medical Obsolete. to administer (something) as a remedy.
verb (used without object)
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exhibits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exhibited,
past participle, past
-
exhibiting
present participle
noun
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exhibits
plural
verb
-
(also intr) to display (something) to the public for interest or instruction
this artist exhibits all over the world
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to manifest; display; show
the child exhibited signs of distress
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law to produce (a document or object) in court to serve as evidence
noun
-
an object or collection exhibited to the public
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law a document or object produced in court and referred to or identified by a witness in giving evidence
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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exhibitantnoun
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exhibiternoun
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exhibitornoun
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preexhibitnoun
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reexhibitverb (used with object)
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exhibitableadjective
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exhibitoryadjective
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self-exhibitedadjective
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unexhibitableadjective
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unexhibitedadjective
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well-exhibitedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exhibitsimple
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exhibitssimple
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have exhibitedperfect
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has exhibitedperfect
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am exhibitingprogressive
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are exhibitingprogressive
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is exhibitingprogressive
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have been exhibitingperfect progressive
-
has been exhibitingperfect progressive
Past
-
exhibitedsimple
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had exhibitedperfect
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was exhibitingprogressive
-
were exhibitingprogressive
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had been exhibitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exhibit
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English exhibiten “to show,” from Latin exhibitus, past participle of exhibēre, from ex- ex- 1 + -hibēre (combining form of habēre “to have”); cf. habit 1
Explanation
An exhibit is an item that is shown off for the public, such as a painting on display at a gallery or a historical document shown under glass at a museum. The main thing to remember about an exhibit is that it refers to something presented formally and in a public setting. For example, if you put an action figure on a side table in your apartment and your friends come by and notice it, well, it’s just an action figure on a side table. Put that same action figure on a pedestal in a fancy gallery, arrange it just so, and voilà! It’s an exhibit. People may even look it over and discuss its meaning in hushed tones. Students of law — or people who watch a lot of TV — will know that when used in a legal context, the word exhibit can also refer to an item presented as evidence in a legal court.
Vocabulary lists containing exhibit
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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.
See Examples For:
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston had a “Hallyu” exhibit with a light sick display, and yours was part of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
While the exhibit is enabled by the entwined ubiquity of the English language and the internet, the artists know these technologies aren’t transparent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Otherwise, exhibit planners have emphasized the theme of black freedom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Tama Zoo announced last month that it would suspend its lion exhibit and lion bus service, due to the "sudden heatwave" making the lions ill.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The Buick was loaded down with the panels, posters, and rocket hardware of my fair exhibit.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
He has advised these organizations on fossil collections and educational exhibits.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
The head of the National Museum of American History doesn’t want to talk about her exhibits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
But that changed this week when hundreds of pages of court exhibits — released through discovery in a federal lawsuit — provided a glimpse into the operations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Weeks before its opening in Los Angeles, the Lucas Museum will be on hand to share new details about its exhibits.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
What are we gonna get out of seeing it again? 5TH JUROR: YOU brought it up. 4TH JUROR: The gentleman has a right to see exhibits in evidence.
From "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose
Millennials and Gen Xers also exhibited the same behaviors to a much lesser extent.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
In his initial livestream denying the allegations, he not only exhibited an odd demeanor, but he also falsely insisted that every accusation could be “traced back to a single source, my former wife.”
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
Its lions have long been a key attraction, having been bred and exhibited since 1964.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
In a statement shared with local media outlets Tuesday, the family spokesperson said Forbes “regrets and apologizes for any and all behavior she exhibited during her personal mental health crisis.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“To imply the Cro-Magnon were lug heads is wrong. They exhibited a cranial capacity approximately sixteen hundred cubic centimeters larger than modern-day humans.’
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
The swift signs of aging he is exhibiting simply makes it hard to imagine.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
Legacy software company IBM is also exhibiting cybersecurity momentum.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
If you see they’re exhibiting any of these symptoms, get them some water and help move then to a cooler place.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
In his book, he treats empathy in a largely colloquial sense, “as both a way of exhibiting sympathy towards someone, as well as a means of putting myself in your shoes.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
“A Dracula mystery story,” she said, eagerly exhibiting her book.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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.
