exhibition
/ɛksɪˈbɪʃ(ə)n
/noun
1A public display of works of art or items of interest, held in an art gallery or museum or at a trade fair: an exhibition of French sculpture [mass noun]: he never lent his treasures out for exhibition...
- It is part of the high-tech armoury used by the company to create visitor attractions, exhibitions, museum galleries as well as tourist information centres.
- Trade fairs and exhibitions, which herald every festival season, have already come up at various spots in the city.
- He has held several one-man exhibitions of his paintings.
Synonyms
(public) display, show, showing, presentation, demonstration, showcase, mounting, spectacle;
retrospective, biennale;
exposition, expo, fair, trade fair, world fair;
North American exhibit
informal demo
2A display or demonstration of a skill: fields which have been ploughed with a supreme exhibition of the farm worker’s skills...
- The Cork maestro gave a bewildering exhibition of all the skills of the game.
- The event would see the sport's top stars taking part in demonstration games and trick shot exhibitions on Friday before getting down to the serious business of the finals at the weekend.
- There will be demonstrations and exhibitions of Ruskin lace, spinning and weaving, wood-turning and many others.
2.1A display of a quality or emotion: a false exhibition of concern for smaller nations...
- He sullied his already dwindling credibility with an exhibition of arrogance, bad taste and egotism that made for queasy viewing.
- Much has been made of the violence of most games, but this exhibition also demonstrates the sexism of many games.
- Lloyd responded in a fine exhibition of diplomacy, noting that ‘Alan has his own view of things’.
Synonyms
display, show, demonstration, manifestation, expression, indication;
revelation, betrayal, disclosure;
parade
3 [usually as modifier] (In sport) a game whose outcome does not affect a team’s standing, typically one played before the start of a regular season: an exhibition match...
- Rob Bironas has a strong leg; he kicked a 53-yarder in an exhibition game.
- Oregon's Malik Hairston scored 30 points in 19 minutes in his first exhibition game.
- The team scored three touchdowns in four exhibition games.
4British A scholarship awarded to a student at a school or university, usually after a competitive examination: Brasenose awarded him a senior Hulme exhibition...
- Turing sat the scholarship examinations in 1929 and won an exhibition, but not a scholarship.
- The son of an industrial chemist, Wilson won an exhibition in history to Jesus College, Oxford.
Phrases
make an exhibition of oneself
Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense 'maintenance, support'; hence sense 4, mid 17th century): via Old French from late Latin exhibitio(n-), from Latin exhibere 'hold out' (see exhibit).