presentation

noun

pre·​sen·​ta·​tion ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən 

ˌpre-zᵊn-, 

ˌprē-zᵊn- 

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 

ˌpre-zᵊn-, 

ˌprē-zᵊn-

adjective

Synonyms of presentation

• gift
• present
• donation

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

What to watch For the FW26 season, there are 52 runway shows and 46 presentations, totaling 98 events (compared to 101 in September, which is typically larger). —Hilary Milnes, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2026

The burrito giant plans to increase prices 1% to 2%, a slower pace than inflation, over the next year, the company shared in its earnings presentation last week, with Boatwright telling investors on the earnings call that he was surprised by Chipotle’s affluent, digital native customer base. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026

Premade strawberry glaze helps quickly achieve a marbled look for an elegant presentation. —Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026

Not long after his Monday swearing-in to the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education, Chris Van Nostrand jumped into the fray during a presentation on recent student achievement. —Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing presentation

• breech presentation

Rhymes for presentation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

presentation

noun

pre·​sen·​ta·​tion ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən  ˌprez-ᵊn- 

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 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

Medical Definition

presentation

noun

pre·​sen·​ta·​tion ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən  ˌprez-ᵊn- 

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