exhibit
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
to manifest or display.
to exhibit anger; to exhibit interest.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
-
to place on show.
to exhibit paintings.
-
to make manifest; explain.
-
Law. to submit (a document, object, etc.) in evidence in a court of law.
-
Medicine/Medical Obsolete. to administer (something) as a remedy.
verb (used without object)
-
exhibits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exhibited,
past participle, past
-
exhibiting
present participle
noun
-
exhibits
plural
verb
-
(also intr) to display (something) to the public for interest or instruction
this artist exhibits all over the world
-
to manifest; display; show
the child exhibited signs of distress
-
law to produce (a document or object) in court to serve as evidence
noun
-
an object or collection exhibited to the public
-
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
-
exhibitantnoun
-
exhibiternoun
-
exhibitornoun
-
preexhibitnoun
-
reexhibitverb (used with object)
-
exhibitableadjective
-
exhibitoryadjective
-
self-exhibitedadjective
-
unexhibitableadjective
-
unexhibitedadjective
-
well-exhibitedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exhibitsimple
-
exhibitssimple
-
have exhibitedperfect
-
has exhibitedperfect
-
am exhibitingprogressive
-
are exhibitingprogressive
-
is exhibitingprogressive
-
have been exhibitingperfect progressive
-
has been exhibitingperfect progressive
Past
-
exhibitedsimple
-
had exhibitedperfect
-
was exhibitingprogressive
-
were exhibitingprogressive
-
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An exhibit is an item that is shown off for the public, such as a painting on display at a gallery or a historical document shown under glass at a museum.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
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
ACT Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 10
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But instead of closing the exhibit, the museum deliberately reopened it the next day as a show of confidence in its security measures, adding that the exhibit ultimately received more than 70,000 visitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The Idaho-based grocer is exhibit A for problems in the supermarket business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Light can exhibit different kinds of rotational behavior.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Tours of the exhibit will be offered throughout the afternoon, but come to learn how to be transformed into a vampire at a special effects workshop.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The island, he insisted, was perfect for the hunting camp exhibit of his Boone and Crockett Club.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Its exhibits "moved to storage," according to a guide at the new museum.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
I enlisted my husband, who is a lawyer, to draft a more detailed appeal that included exhibits from my employer health-plan documents.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
As part of this cultural diplomatic exchange, the UK is lending France one of the British Museum's prize exhibits - treasures from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo burial.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Those patterns can reveal whether a material is magnetic and, if so, what kind of magnetism it exhibits.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
The closer to the viaduct and the women’s building, which were the threshold to the White City’s grand expanse, the more Westernized the exhibits became.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
They share an ease and rapport neither has readily exhibited on camera before — certainly not around virtual strangers.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Garments that have lasted, usually aided by conservation, are rare—and rarely exhibited.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
"When the characteristic energy of the cavity mode matched the low-energy superconducting fluctuations, the NbSe2 device exhibited resonant enhancement, producing the peak in superconductivity enhancement," said Prof. Jiang.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
After Peck and Albuquerque lost their Malibu home and much of her work in the 2018 Woolsey fire, Wolfe exhibited Albuquerque’s first new drawings as she struggled to resume her practice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
“You have demonstrated a true act of valor, and in doing so exhibited a righteousness, dedication, and loyalty far exceeding your years,” he murmured.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
The estimated number of Chinese vehicle brands exhibiting at this year’s Paris Motor Show, up from nine just two years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The graduates certainly appear no different from anyone else celebrating an academic achievement, exhibiting their pride.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Mangia said that healthcare providers saw residents with mostly respiratory issues, but that many of the residents were also exhibiting rashes and skin irritations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
The swift signs of aging he is exhibiting simply makes it hard to imagine.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
From then on, Marie donned men’s clothes, took the name of Gottlieb, and made a fortune traveling around Europe, exhibiting himself to medical men.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
