exhibition

/ˈɛksəˌbɪʃən/

/ɛksɪˈbɪʃən/

Other forms: exhibitions

An exhibition is a collection of items for public display, like an exhibition of children’s artwork, antique vases, or memorabilia from a science fiction movie series.

In the 19th century, exhibition was used to refer to a collection of objects, while exhibit designated a single item in an exhibition. Nowadays, exhibition and exhibit are often used interchangeably. Exhibition comes from the Latin ex-, meaning "out," and habere, meaning "hold" — as objects in an exhibition are "held out," or shown, to the public. The h in "hold out" might help you remember to include the h when spelling exhibition.

Definitions of exhibition

1. noun

   the act of exhibiting
   “a remarkable exhibition of musicianship”

   types:

   production

   (law) the act of exhibiting in a court of law

   rodeo

   an exhibition of cowboy skills

   type of:

   demonstration, presentation, presentment

   a show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view
2. noun

   a collection of things (goods or works of art etc.) for public display
   synonyms: expo, exposition

   types:

   art exhibition

   an exhibition of art objects (paintings or statues)

   peepshow, raree-show

   an exhibition of pictures or objects viewed through a small hole or magnifying glass

   fair

   a competitive exhibition of farm products

   retrospective

   an exhibition of a representative selection of an artist's life work

   type of:

   accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection

   several things grouped together or considered as a whole