presentation

American  

[prez-uhn-tay-shuhn, pree-zen-] / ˌprɛz ənˈteɪ ʃən, ˌpri zɛn- /

noun

• presentations
  plural

1. an act of presenting.

2. the state of being presented.

3. a social introduction, as of a person at court.

4. an exhibition or performance, as of a play or film.

5. offering, delivering, or bestowal, as of a gift.

6. a gift.

7. a demonstration, lecture, or welcoming speech.

8. a manner or style of speaking, instructing, or putting oneself forward.

   His presentation was very poor.

9. Commerce. the presentment of a bill, note, or the like.

10. Obstetrics.

    1. the position of the fetus in the uterus during labor.

    2. the appearance of a particular part of the fetus at the cervix during labor.

       a breech presentation.

11. Ecclesiastical. the act or the right of presenting a member of the clergy to the bishop for institution to a benefice.

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presentation British  

/ ˌprɛzənˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of presenting or state of being presented

2. the manner of presenting, esp the organization of visual details to create an overall impression

   the presentation of the project is excellent but the content poor

3. the method of presenting

   his presentation of the facts was muddled

4. a verbal report presented with illustrative material, such as slides, graphs, etc

   a presentation on the company results

5. 1. an offering or bestowal, as of a gift

   2. ( as modifier )

      a presentation copy of a book

6. a performance or representation, as of a play

7. the formal introduction of a person, as into society or at court; debut

8. the act or right of nominating a clergyman to a benefice

9. med the position of a baby relative to the birth canal at the time of birth

10. commerce another word for presentment

11. television linking material between programmes, such as announcements, trailers, or weather reports

12. an archaic word for gift

13. philosophy a sense datum

14. (often capital) another name for (feast of) Candlemas

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpresentation
  noun
• self-presentation
  noun
• presentational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• presentations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of presentation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin praesentātiōn-, stem of praesentātiō “exhibition, showing, nomination to a benefice, religious dedication”; equivalent to present ² + -ation

Explanation

The noun presentation means the official giving, or presenting, of something. The presentation of diplomas at a graduation ceremony is the part that makes many of the parents in the audience cry. A presentation can be a ceremony of giving some gift or award, and it can also be a demonstration or show — like a dog training presentation at your local pet store. Another meaning of presentation is a style of displaying something — like the presentation of plants and flowers in the florist's window or the presentation of food on a buffet table. In the 1600s, presentation was commonly used to mean "show or play," as in "a theatrical presentation."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

presentation presentations

In its September presentation of the company’s broader “> NEXT” strategy, the chain said Archy could free at least 50 labor hours per week as the technology scales.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

A separate presentation to the board will note that the county education office has “conditionally” approved the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Daisy Schofield, a 32-year-old documentary producer and journalist, had her first panic attack at university during a presentation, she tells Woman's Hour.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

During his presentation, Shepard showed officials some of those internal documents from the Watergate Special Prosecution Force first led by special prosecutor Archibald Cox.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

So his presentations often begin with his cellphone number.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Said to have impressed with his in-depth presentations during the recruitment process, he embodies "a new generation with sincere humility", Chanel fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky said of him at the time.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Even in cities and counties that are not immediately shifting their approach to Flock, the governor’s actions and widespread scrutiny have prompted police to provide presentations and explanations for how they use their cameras.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

He began giving presentations at UFO events and interviews on paranormal programs.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

He was so afraid of public speaking that, more than once, he had fainted while giving presentations.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Related Words

• appearance
• delivery
• demonstration
• display
• introduction
• offering
• production
• proposal
• reception
• show
• submission