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

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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

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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

A recent presentation of DWP’s long-term power plan modeled rates reaching 71.1 cents per kWh by 2044.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

For example, you might think you are protecting a direct report’s reputation and time by fixing a client proposal or redoing a presentation for the employee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

In a presentation, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said the launch was delayed due to an issue with the manufacturing process for Neutron’s forward dome.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

In a presentation to the Police Commission last month, the LAPD’s technology czar, Dean Gialamas, said that the department understood the privacy and civil liberty concerns raised about companies such as Flock.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

They didn’t actually have anyone to whom they might give a presentation.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Their presentations revealed a patchwork of efforts, with municipalities and organizations moving ahead while seeking clearer coordination and financial commitments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

The bank says that investors have heard margin targets before, but this time management provided considerably more detail on capacity, head count, complexity reduction and capital allocation than in previous presentations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 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

Two presentations, among all, stood out in their particularly chilling fervor.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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Related Words

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

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