curation

noun

cu·​ra·​tion kyu̇-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce curation (audio)
plural curations
1
: the act or an instance of curating or selecting
"I think what's best about video store collections is that they're the work of some 20, 30 years of an obsessed human being's curation," [Tim League] explained.Gabe Cohn and Adam Powell
: such as
a
: the act or an instance of selecting and organizing artistic works for presentation in an exhibit, show, etc.
the careful curation that went into the exhibit
the museum's curation team
participated in the show's curation process
b
: the act or process of selecting and organizing (something, such as articles or images) for distribution or publication
Content curation is the process of sifting through and selecting online content to add to a website.James Warrington and Giulia Bottaro
Algorithms are basically the secret sauce that fuels modern social networks and streaming platforms. … They're good at both maximizing audience size and cheaply filling homepages with limited need for manual editorial curation.Tom McKay
Those who subscribe get a box of books tailored to their likes and dislikes: The careful curation is based on responses to questions about favorite and least favorite authors, and even a review of the recipient's Goodreads profile.Angela Haupt
also : the items selected and organized
These are just some of the latest in our curation of early Black Friday and holiday deals, which you can peruse right here in our dedicated guide. Nona Porter
Don't be afraid to mix into your curation some great content about a sport or recreational activity you love, or a charity or community cause you support. Jay Palter
2
: the act or process of selecting and bringing together people or groups for a specific purpose : coordination sense 1
We've had to be very deliberate with the curation of the team by bringing on those with the right skillsets, who are not only compatible but also believe in our company culture.Dan Jovevski, quoted at smartcompany.com.au
3
: the art or profession of a curator
I decided on a career field in high school: museum curation.Katherine Kelly-Coviello

Examples of curation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Data management must move from the cleansing and control of discrete data sets into the ongoing, active curation of conversations, both prompt and response. Forrester, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Direct messages on social media and email are more like the telegraph than news feeds and public content curation, Prelogar continued, diverging from the tech industry’s position. Brian Fung, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Whitaker said social media platforms had opaque algorithms that prevent users from fully understanding how content curation happens. Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 Excellent jewelry is an exercise in curation and articulation. Erika Veurink, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 There are so many analog treasures stuffed into this place; there is so much loving curation. The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 The renaming will take place as an official Grammy week event on Jan. 29 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Jimmy Jam, with music curation by DJ Khalil and a performance by Aloe Blacc. Melinda Newman, Billboard, 18 Jan. 2024 These modern businesses are smaller, sleeker, and more specialized than their big-box chain counterparts like 99 Ranch, H-Mart, or Seafood City, and place a notable emphasis on craft, curation, and customer experience. Megan Zhang, Saveur, 31 Jan. 2024 The new year brings a kaleidoscopic array of exhibitions to the various Smithsonian museums, where recent trends in curation have shows often running longer than before, in some cases for more than a year. Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English curacioun "curing, restoration to health, medical treatment," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French curacion, borrowed from Latin cūrātiōn-, cūrātiō "superintendence, taking care, treatment of a disease or sick person, office to which duties are attached," from cūrāre "to watch over, attend, treat (sick persons), restore to health" + -tiōn- -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at cure entry 2

Note: In contemporary use curation is probably a new formation from cur(ate) entry 2 + -ation.

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of curation was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near curation

Cite this Entry

“Curation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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