Definition of exposition
1 : a setting forth of the meaning or purpose (as of a writing)
2a : discourse or an example of it designed to convey information or explain what is difficult to understandb (1) : the first part of a musical composition in sonata form in which the thematic material of the movement is presented (2) : the opening section of a fugue
3 : a public exhibition or show
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Examples of exposition in a Sentence
This is not an easy book, and the reader may find the layers of detail challenging. There are long expositions of the knotty tangles of monarchical lineage, and the necessary chronicle of historical events occasionally consumes the novel's narrative drive. —Lucy Lethbridge, Commonweal, 23 Oct. 2009
He is masterly in absorbing information and masterful in organizing it—skeptical of fashion, clear in exposition, fluent in communication, unremittingly scholarly. —Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, New York Times Book Review, 11 June 2000
Although they were invited to use an early X ray machine on display at the exposition, they turned down the offer, and they never found the bullet. —T. Burton Smith, American Heritage, September 1992
The subject requires some exposition.
a clear exposition of his ideas
Recent Examples of exposition from the Web
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One version, disputed by hot dog historians, has it that a sausage-maker at a 1904 exposition in St. Louis began wrapping his hot sausages in bread after customers walked off with too many of his gloves.
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And that’s about all the exposition Nolan supplies. Unseen enemy gunfire drives a panicked Tommy (newcomer Fionn Whitehead) to the beach, where several hundred thousand troops await rescue while the Luftwaffe strafes them.
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Scenes in which exposition is delivered in one brothel or another, for example, have been pared back.
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Some are succinct, told in one or two brief lines; others offer a more in-depth and lengthy exposition of thoughts and feelings on a subject with a fraught history.
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The first production will take place Sept. 13 at Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom as part of the opening of EXPO CHICAGO, the city’s international exposition of contemporary and modern art.
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This movie is convention flouting in a lot of ways: little dialogue, the use of music but no score, lack of exposition.
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The original film utilizes voiceover to vocalize its characters' inner thoughts, and includes Hallie in that exposition.
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Lots and lots of explanatory exposition is his contribution.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exposition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of exposition
see exposit
Other Performing Arts Terms
EXPOSITION Defined for English Language Learners
exposition
playDefinition of exposition for English Language Learners
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: the act of explaining something : clear explanation
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: a public show or exhibition
EXPOSITION Defined for Kids
exposition
playDefinition of exposition for Students
1 : an explanation of something
2 : a public exhibition
Learn More about exposition
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See words that rhyme with exposition Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exposition Spanish Central: Translation of exposition Nglish: Translation of exposition for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of exposition for Arabic speakers
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