presentation

noun

pre·​sen·​ta·​tion ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce presentation (audio)
ˌpre-zᵊn-
ˌprē-zᵊn- How to pronounce presentation (audio)
1
a
: the act of presenting
b
: the act, power, or privilege especially of a patron of applying to the bishop or ordinary for instituting someone into a benefice
2
: something presented: such as
a
: a symbol or image that represents something
b
: something offered or given : gift
c
: something set forth for the attention of the mind
d
: a descriptive or persuasive account (as by a salesman of a product)
e
: a symptom or group of symptoms observed or detected upon initial examination or disclosed by a patient to the physician
clinical presentation of appendicitis
3
: the position in which the fetus lies in the uterus in labor with respect to the opening of the uterus
4
: an immediate object of perception, cognition, or memory
5
often Presentation : a church feast on November 21 celebrating the presentation of the Virgin Mary in the temple
6
: the method by which radio, navigation, or radar information is given to the operator (such as the pilot of an airplane)
presentational
ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce presentation (audio)
ˌpre-zᵊn-
ˌprē-zᵊn-
adjective

Examples of presentation in a Sentence

The charts and graphs helped me understand the presentation. She will take your questions after she has made her presentation. The senior accountant gave a presentation at the meeting. The presentation of the food made it look very appetizing. The choir sang during the presentation of the gifts.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In his presentation to the state board during Wednesday's work session, Assistant Commissioner for School Choice and Parent Empowerment Darrell Smith did not explicitly mention that team sports would not be eligible for use of account funds. Arkansas Online, 17 Nov. 2025 Get specific prompts to optimize emails, memos and presentations for tone, context and audience. Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025 Trump’s confrontation with South African Cyril Ramaphosa concerning allegations of white genocide even included an audio-visual presentation. Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 17 Nov. 2025 Em and Rosenberg will consult on all aspects of the halftime show’s production and presentation, including talent selection, from 2025 through 2027. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 16 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for presentation

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of presentation was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Presentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presentation. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

presentation

noun
pre·​sen·​ta·​tion ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce presentation (audio) ˌprez-ᵊn- How to pronounce presentation (audio)
ˌprēz-ᵊn-
1
: the act of presenting
2
a
: something (as a gift or an award) presented
b
: something set forth for attention (as a play or a sales demonstration)
3
: the position in which the fetus lies in the uterus in labor with respect to the opening through which it passes in birth
presentational
-shnəl How to pronounce presentation (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

Medical Definition

presentation

noun
pre·​sen·​ta·​tion ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce presentation (audio) ˌprez-ᵊn- How to pronounce presentation (audio)
1
: the position in which the fetus lies in the uterus in labor with respect to the opening of the uterus
face presentation
a breech presentation
2
: appearance in conscious experience either as a sensory product or as a memory image
3
: a symptom or group of symptoms evident or disclosed by a patient upon physical examination
But the most common clinical presentation is unexplained febrile illness, sometimes with pneumonia and/or hepatitis.Rebecca Voelker
4
: a formal oral report of a patient's medical history

More from Merriam-Webster on presentation

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