presentation

American  

[prez-uhn-tey-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

The instrumentals uplift the presentation of the other tracks.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

For example, students at the New Media Academy complete a presentation at the end of each semester in which industry professionals serve as judges.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Machado's team turned to the global iNaturalist platform after hearing a presentation about using citizen science in bird research.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

A presentation describing the transition cited employment as one of the challenges: The battery plant was expected to employ 2,500 staff, only a third of the engine plant’s workforce in 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

They’d gone to an event last month, a presentation from Folksbiene at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

I’ve seen it on many products, in many different presentations — pink-glitter bubble letters on a sticker, loopy black cursive on a tote bag, industrial embroidery on a hat.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

The Belgian FA referenced several regulations, workshop presentations and pre-tournament co-ordination meetings.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Set your “soft” off day up for success by making sure any deadlines, presentations or important meetings are scheduled during your “fully on” days.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Hernandez advocated for a 90-day public comment window and also called for presentations on underground infrastructure, especially in the wake of the East L.A. pipeline that was punctured during construction work in late May.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

They paraded in full costume down Durham’s Main Street and gave presentations at the Academy of Music.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

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