display

verb

dis·​play di-ˈsplā 

displayed; displaying; displays

transitive verb

1

a

: to place or spread (something) for people to see

The gallery displays the work of local artists.

It also comes with a wooden wall mount so you can proudly display it in your living room.

—Nathan Donkor

If the system displays an error message, you may need to adjust your settings …

—Andy Wolber

also : to serve as a place for displaying (something)

… a … shop window displaying shimmering silk scarves …

—Ute Junker

As the robot worked, a screen displayed its progress.

—Dominic Rushe

b

: to make (an emotion, quality, skill, etc.) evident

displayed great skill

displayed an interest in music

She displayed no emotion upon hearing the news.

c

: to exhibit conspicuously and usually in an ostentatious manner

displayed their wealth

He liked to display his extensive knowledge of Greek mythology.

2

obsolete : descry

intransitive verb

1

: to make a breeding (see breeding sense 4) display

During the mating season king penguins displayed with potential partners: closing their eyes, stretching their heads skyward and moving them in a half-circle to "take peeks" at one another.

—Ella Davies

2

: to be visible or make something visible (as on the screen of a digital device)

… a rearview camera that displays on the navigation screen when he backs up …

—Anita Hamilton

This system would allow the computer to display on the television for multimedia presentations …

—Kellie B. Gormly

3

obsolete : show off

displayable

di-ˈsplā-ə-bəl 

adjective

displayable images

Synonyms of display

• exhibit
• show
• flash
• unveil
• expose

Choose the Right Synonym for display

show, exhibit, display, expose, parade, flaunt mean to present so as to invite notice or attention.

show implies no more than enabling another to see or examine.

showed her snapshots to the whole group

exhibit stresses putting forward prominently or openly.

exhibit paintings at a gallery

display emphasizes putting in a position where others may see to advantage.

display sale items

expose suggests bringing forth from concealment and displaying.

sought to expose the hypocrisy of the town fathers

parade implies an ostentatious or arrogant displaying.

parading their piety for all to see

flaunt suggests a shameless, boastful, often offensive parading.

nouveaux riches flaunting their wealth

Examples of display in a Sentence

Students displayed their projects at the science fair.

Toys were displayed in the store window.

Her awards are prominently displayed on the mantel.

The museum displays relics found during the excavation of the site.

He displayed no emotion when I told him the news.

I was impressed by the care she displayed in making the flower arrangements.

The rookie player displayed great skill.

The company has displayed exceptional dedication to this community.

Recent Examples on the Web

The logo of SoftBank is displayed at a company shop in Tokyo, Japan January 28, 2025. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 June 2026

New grads can display their achievement with this elegant diploma frame, which even has a shadowbox window for their tassel. —Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

The machine displays opposing pitchers’ deliveries and release points while also replicating a pitcher’s specific pitch characteristics. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 3 June 2026

This time around, Sibony acknowledged that the sculptures aren’t all displayed exactly as found. —Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English desplaien, displaien, displeien "to unfurl (a banner), spread (the arms), reveal, expound," borrowed from Anglo-French despleier, desplaier, desploier, deplaier "to unfurl, set out to view, reveal, expound" (continental Old French desploier), probably from des- dis- + pleier, ploier "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

Note: Compare deploy. Older references see this verb as an outcome of Latin displicāre, attested in the classical corpus only in Varro's Res rusticae, where it appears to mean "scatter, disperse." In Late Latin, the verb appears once in the sense "explain, expound" in the sermons of Gregory the Great on the book of Ezekiel. Apparent cognates outside Gallo-Romance are probably of secondary origin: Italian dispiegare "to spread out, deploy" may be a derivative of spiegare "to unfold, explain," perhaps modeled on Old French desploier (spiegare itself and synonymous Engadine Romansh splajer are from Latin explicāre—see explicate); and Spanish desplegar "to spread, open out" appears to be a learned formation.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing display

• caller display
• go on display
• heads-up display
• liquid crystal display
• on display
• self-display
• window display

Rhymes for display

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

display

1 of 2 verb

dis·​play dis-ˈplā 

1

: to put in plain view

display the flag

the results displayed on a computer screen

display toys in a store window

2

: to make clear the existence or presence of : make a display of

display anger

display

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: a showing of something

b

: an electronic device (as a cathode-ray tube in a computer or radar receiver) that gives information in visual form

also : the visual information

2

: overdone or unnecessary show

3

: an attractive exhibition