Exhibition
/ˌɛks.ɪˈbɪʃ.ən/noun
A public display or showing of objects, works of art, or skills.
Did you know?Its ancestor, Latin *exhibēre*, meant “to hold out, present, or display,” from *ex-* (“out”) + *habēre* (“to hold”), so the idea is not just showing—it’s *placing something outside your grasp*.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
exhibēre
“to hold out, present, or display”
Late Latin
Late Latin
exhibitio
“a showing, presentation”
Old French
Old French
exhibition
“an act of exhibiting; display”
14th–15th Century
Middle English
exhibicioun
“a showing, presentation, display”
Modern English
English
exhibition
“a public display or presentation”