exhibit

exhibit — verb

1. to put an object, artwork, or product where the public can view it, for instance

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to put an object, artwork, or product where the public can view it, for instance in a museum, gallery, or at a fair

Example

Amelia's photographs were exhibited at the Riverside Art Gallery last spring.

passive: be exhibited at [location]

The museum will exhibit a collection of Ming Dynasty porcelain next month.

Common collocations
  • exhibit paintings
  • exhibit photographs
  • exhibit work
  • exhibit at a gallery
  • exhibit at a fair
Synonyms
  • display

    more general — can be in any context, not just formal public settings

  • show

    less formal than exhibit, used in everyday speech

  • showcase

    emphasises presenting the best qualities of something, often with pride

Grammar Patterns

exhibit + noun phrase + (preposition phrase)

Usage Note

Object is usually artwork, photographs, or products. The location is introduced by at, in, or during.

Common Mistakes

The museum exhibits the painting on its website' (for digital display).
The museum exhibits the painting in its main hall.
exhibit suggests physical showing; use display or feature for digital-only contexts.

2. to show a particular feeling, quality, ability, or physical sign through your be

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to show a particular feeling, quality, ability, or physical sign through your behaviour, appearance, or condition

Example

The patient exhibited no signs of infection after the surgery.

exhibit + no + signs of + [something]

Liang exhibited great patience when teaching the young children how to swim.

Common collocations
  • exhibit signs
  • exhibit symptoms
  • exhibit behaviour
  • exhibit a talent
  • exhibit willingness
Synonyms
  • display

    interchangeable in most contexts, slightly less formal

  • show

    less formal — preferred in everyday conversation

  • demonstrate

    emphasises proof or evidence; stronger than exhibit

Antonyms
  • conceal

    to hide a feeling or quality on purpose

  • suppress

    to hold back a feeling or reaction deliberately

Grammar Patterns

exhibit + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common in formal and medical writing. The object is usually an abstract noun (sign, symptom, behaviour, talent, willingness, ability). Not used with a that-clause.

Common Mistakes

She exhibited that she was tired.
She exhibited signs of tiredness.
this sense takes a noun phrase as object, not a clause.

exhibit — noun

Word family

  • exhibition
    nounB1
  • exhibitor
    nounB2
  • exhibited
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve making something visible to others, but they differ in formality and purpose. Exhibit is the most formal and specific — it strongly suggests a public, often institutional setting such as a museum or gallery. Display is the most general: a shop can display goods, a person can display emotion, and a museum can display artefacts. Show is the everyday, informal option used for almost any act of letting someone see something. Showcase adds the nuance of highlighting the best features of something with a sense of pride. Present is more formal than show but less tied to physical objects — you can present ideas, findings, or awards. Example: 'The gallery exhibits emerging artists.' 'She displayed her collection on the shelf.' 'He showed me the new phone.' 'The event showcases local talent.' 'They presented their research at the conference.'

display ↗show ↗showcase ↗present ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • on exhibit
  • go on exhibit

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Exhibit comes from the Latin verb exhibere, meaning 'to hold out, present, show'. This was formed from ex- ('out') and habere ('to have, hold'). The word entered English in the 15th century as a legal term meaning 'to submit a document as evidence', and by the 17th century had broadened to include the general sense of showing something publicly. The noun meaning 'an object displayed' appeared in the 19th century alongside the rise of public museums and exhibitions.