ex·hib·it (ĭg-zĭbĭt, ĕg-)
v. ex·hib·it·ed, ex·hib·it·ing, ex·hib·its
1. To show outwardly; display: exhibited pleasure by smiling.
a. To present for others to see: rolled up his sleeve to exhibit the scar.
b. To present in a public exhibition or contest: exhibited her paintings at a gallery. See Synonyms at show.
3. To give evidence or an instance of; demonstrate: young musicians eager to exhibit their talent; a plant that exhibits dimorphism.
To put something on public display.
a. A public showing; an exhibition: spent the afternoon at the art exhibit.
b. Something exhibited: Each exhibit in the show took hours to assemble.
a. Law Something marked for identification with the purpose of being introduced as evidence: referred to Exhibit A.
b. Informal Something used as an example, as when arguing or making a point: You never do your chores—Exhibit A: look at the unwashed dishes in the sink.
[Middle English exhibiten, from Latin exhibēre, exhibit- : ex-, ex- + habēre, to hold; see ghabh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
ex·hibi·tor, ex·hibit·er n.
ex·hibi·to′ry (-ĭ-tôr′ē) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.