presentation
Americannoun
-
an act of presenting.
-
the state of being presented.
-
a social introduction, as of a person at court.
-
an exhibition or performance, as of a play or film.
-
offering, delivering, or bestowal, as of a gift.
-
a gift.
-
a demonstration, lecture, or welcoming speech.
-
a manner or style of speaking, instructing, or putting oneself forward.
His presentation was very poor.
-
Commerce. the presentment of a bill, note, or the like.
-
Obstetrics.
-
the position of the fetus in the uterus during labor.
-
the appearance of a particular part of the fetus at the cervix during labor.
a breech presentation.
-
-
Ecclesiastical. the act or the right of presenting a member of the clergy to the bishop for institution to a benefice.
noun
-
the act of presenting or state of being presented
-
the manner of presenting, esp the organization of visual details to create an overall impression
the presentation of the project is excellent but the content poor
-
the method of presenting
his presentation of the facts was muddled
-
a verbal report presented with illustrative material, such as slides, graphs, etc
a presentation on the company results
-
-
an offering or bestowal, as of a gift
-
( as modifier )
a presentation copy of a book
-
-
a performance or representation, as of a play
-
the formal introduction of a person, as into society or at court; debut
-
the act or right of nominating a clergyman to a benefice
-
med the position of a baby relative to the birth canal at the time of birth
-
commerce another word for presentment
-
television linking material between programmes, such as announcements, trailers, or weather reports
-
an archaic word for gift
-
philosophy a sense datum
-
(often capital) another name for (feast of) Candlemas
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of presentation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin praesentātiōn-, stem of praesentātiō “exhibition, showing, nomination to a benefice, religious dedication”; equivalent to present 2 + -ation
Explanation
The noun presentation means the official giving, or presenting, of something. The presentation of diplomas at a graduation ceremony is the part that makes many of the parents in the audience cry. A presentation can be a ceremony of giving some gift or award, and it can also be a demonstration or show — like a dog training presentation at your local pet store. Another meaning of presentation is a style of displaying something — like the presentation of plants and flowers in the florist's window or the presentation of food on a buffet table. In the 1600s, presentation was commonly used to mean "show or play," as in "a theatrical presentation."
Vocabulary lists containing presentation
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Common Core Grades 7–8, List 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Common Core Grades 9–10, List 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The instrumentals uplift the presentation of the other tracks.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Machado's team turned to the global iNaturalist platform after hearing a presentation about using citizen science in bird research.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
There is also the reality that all public dining is in some fashion immersive, usually requiring varying combinations of engagement, communication and presentation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
"So trying to paint presentation of a legitimate complaint as corruption is comical."
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
At the same time, the presentation has such clarity that we feel as if we were seeing nature with open eyes for the first time.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
But that didn’t stop voters from embracing it, giving the show 19 nominations, including one for Dickey’s turn as the gruff town hall worker who is the Spielberg of overhead projector presentations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
I’ve seen it on many products, in many different presentations — pink-glitter bubble letters on a sticker, loopy black cursive on a tote bag, industrial embroidery on a hat.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
The committee's report referenced a BBC investigation which found the government compared student loan repayments to £30-a-month phone contracts in promotional presentations to teenagers a decade ago.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Set your “soft” off day up for success by making sure any deadlines, presentations or important meetings are scheduled during your “fully on” days.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Wiping the nose of some wailing newborn or collecting newspapers or listening to presentations from army nurses or darning another sock?
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
