exhibitions

Word family

• exhibit
  verbB1
• exhibit
  nounB2
• exhibitor
  nounB2
• exhibitionism
  nounC1
• exhibitionist
  nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe events or arrangements where things are shown to the public, but they differ in scope and formality. An 'exhibition' is the most general and neutral term: it can refer to anything from a small gallery showing of photographs to a major international event. A 'show' is more informal and can include performances, not just static displays — a cat show, a fashion show, a TV show. A 'display' focuses on the arrangement of items rather than the event itself; it can be temporary or permanent and much smaller in scale than an exhibition. An 'exposition' (often shortened to 'expo') is a formal, usually large-scale event for industry or trade — think of a world expo or a tech expo. A 'fair' typically has a commercial or festive element, such as a book fair or a county fair where people also sell goods or offer entertainment. Choosing between them depends on context: use 'exhibition' for a formal art or museum event, 'show' for a more casual or performance-based gathering, 'display' for a static arrangement, 'exposition' for a large trade event, and 'fair' when there is a marketplace atmosphere.

Common collocations

Etymology

Exhibition entered English through French in the 14th century, tracing back to the Latin verb 'exhibere', meaning 'to hold out' or 'to present'. This word was built from two parts: 'ex-', meaning 'out', and 'habere', meaning 'to hold' — literally 'to hold something out for others to see'. The original sense of 'presenting or offering' gradually narrowed to the idea of a formal public showing of objects, which became the dominant meaning from the 19th century onward.