expo

expo — noun

1. a large public event where companies, organizations, or countries show their pro

1.nounB1
Definition

a large public event where companies, organizations, or countries show their products, services, or achievements to visitors

Example

The Tokyo tech expo attracted over fifty thousand visitors this year.

collocation: tech expo / trade expo

Priya visited the food expo to try new dishes from different countries.

Common collocations
  • hold an expo
  • attend an expo
  • visit an expo
  • tech expo
  • trade expo
  • food expo
  • book expo
  • career expo
  • international expo
  • annual expo
  • expo hall
  • expo centre
Synonyms
  • exhibition

    broader term; can refer to art shows or commercial displays of any scale

  • trade show

    specifically for businesses to present products and network; more formal than expo

  • fair

    often includes entertainment or sales; can be more casual or community-focused

  • exposition

    the full form of expo; more formal and used in official names

Grammar Patterns

usually singular

often used in names of events

Usage Note

Expo is a shortened form of exposition, often used as part of official event names (e.g. World Expo, tech expo). It is a countable noun and usually takes a determiner.

Common Mistakes

I went to expo last weekend.
I went to an expo last weekend.
Expo is a countable noun and needs a determiner (a, the, this).
The expo will expose new products.
The expo will showcase new products.
Expo is a noun only; do not confuse it with the verb expose.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Expo, exhibition, trade show, fair, and exposition all describe events where things are displayed to the public, but they differ in scale, formality, and purpose. Expo is the most casual and versatile — it can describe anything from a small food expo at a local hall to the massive World Expo. Exhibition is the broadest term, covering art shows, museum displays, and commercial showcases alike. Trade show is specifically a business-to-business event where companies network and take orders; it feels formal and professional. Fair often implies a community event with entertainment, food stalls, or sales — think of a county fair or a craft fair. Exposition is the most formal word and is typically reserved for major international events with official participants. For example: 'Ravi visited a car exhibition at the convention centre' (neutral), 'Leila went to a trade show to find new suppliers' (business-focused), and 'The whole family enjoyed the food fair by the river' (casual).

exhibition ↗trade showfair ↗exposition ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • expo hall
  • expo centre
  • expo visitor
  • expo stand

Phrases

  • hold an expo
  • attend an expo
  • visit an expo
  • take part in an expo
  • set up at an expo

Prepositions

  • at an expo
  • to an expo

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Expo is a shortened form of exposition, which came into English from Old French exposicion (meaning 'explanation' or 'public display'), traced back to the Latin verb exponere — 'to put out' or 'to set forth'. The clipped form expo became popular in the early 20th century, driven by the names of large international events such as world expositions that were casually referred to as 'world expos' in newspapers and advertising.