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 capitalized
: 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)
Synonyms
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
To the contrary, much of Thursday’s presentation focused on 2025 titles, several of them new, and even titles dated for 2026.
—
Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
The news was announced during Paramount’s slate presentation at CinemaCon.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
Not a bad showing, said the judges, but the team seemed to prioritize presentation over flavor.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
As part of a presentation from distributor Warner Bros., Taylor-Joy, 27, Hemsworth, 40, and writer-director George Miller, 79, greeted an enthusiastic crowd at Caesar’s Palace.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
County officials said these ordinance changes were the result of staff recommendations and Board of Supervisors suggestions at an Oct. 24 presentation from a countywide fireworks task force, which now includes the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
Native American histories are not being lost or papered over, but the location as well as the style of their presentation is shifting to a more human, forward-looking one.
—Kathleen Duval, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
At Tuesday’s presentation, exhibitors pleaded with distributors to take a leap of faith and commit to releasing movies in cinemas year-round — not just during times that have historically seen heavier foot traffic.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The board instead voted to postpone the decision after a scathing presentation from the founder of Prismatic Services, which investigated the district's first day of school busing disaster.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 9 Apr. 2024
Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
The news was announced during Paramount’s slate presentation at CinemaCon.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
Not a bad showing, said the judges, but the team seemed to prioritize presentation over flavor.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
As part of a presentation from distributor Warner Bros., Taylor-Joy, 27, Hemsworth, 40, and writer-director George Miller, 79, greeted an enthusiastic crowd at Caesar’s Palace.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
County officials said these ordinance changes were the result of staff recommendations and Board of Supervisors suggestions at an Oct. 24 presentation from a countywide fireworks task force, which now includes the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
Native American histories are not being lost or papered over, but the location as well as the style of their presentation is shifting to a more human, forward-looking one.
—Kathleen Duval, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
At Tuesday’s presentation, exhibitors pleaded with distributors to take a leap of faith and commit to releasing movies in cinemas year-round — not just during times that have historically seen heavier foot traffic.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The board instead voted to postpone the decision after a scathing presentation from the founder of Prismatic Services, which investigated the district's first day of school busing disaster.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'presentation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Phrases Containing presentation
Dictionary Entries Near presentation
Cite this Entry
“Presentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presentation. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
presentation
noun
pre·sen·ta·tion
ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən
ˌprez-ᵊn-
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
Medical Definition
presentation
noun
pre·sen·ta·tion
ˌprē-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən
ˌprez-ᵊn-
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
Rebecca Voelker4
: a formal oral report of a patient's medical history
More from Merriam-Webster on presentation
Nglish: Translation of presentation for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of presentation for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about presentation
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