What does exhibiting mean?
"Exhibiting" is the present participle of the verb "exhibit," carrying two principal senses in modern English. The first, and most visible, involves putting things on public display: galleries, museums, and trade fairs all speak of artists or companies exhibiting their work. The second sense concerns the outward showing of intangible things — a patient may be exhibiting symptoms, a child exhibiting remarkable talent, or a market exhibiting volatility. Both senses share a core idea of making something evident to observers, whether objects on a wall or behaviors under scrutiny. The word carries a neutral, slightly formal tone; it appears heavily in medical, scientific, and journalistic writing, where precision about what is being shown matters. Derived from the Latin "exhibere," meaning to hold out or present, it connects etymologically to words like "exhibition" and "prohibit." Its versatility across concrete and abstract contexts makes it a quietly indispensable verb in precise English prose.
verbThe present participle of "exhibit": to display something publicly, as in a gallery or show; or to manifest a quality, behavior, or symptom.
- To display works of art or other items publicly in a gallery, museum, fair, or show.
- To show or manifest a quality, emotion, behavior, or symptom.
"The museum is exhibiting a rare collection of Renaissance manuscripts this spring."
"The artist is exhibiting her latest sculptures at the Venice Biennale."
"Patients exhibiting early signs of the illness were advised to isolate immediately."
From Latin "exhibere," literally "to hold out" — when you exhibit something, your hand is quite literally offering it to the world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exhibiting
"Exhibiting" derives from the Latin verb "exhibere" (past participle "exhibitum"), formed from "ex-" (out) plus "habere" (to hold), so that to exhibit originally meant to hold something out for others to see. The word entered English in the late fifteenth to sixteenth century, initially carrying legal senses of producing documents or evidence before a court before expanding into its modern display and manifestation meanings. It shares the Latin root "habere" with words such as "habitat," "habitual," and "ability," and is closely related to "exhibition" and "exhibitor."
Related word forms
How exhibiting is actually used
Neutral to formal register. The physical-display sense dominates in art and commercial contexts, while the manifestation sense is especially common in medical and psychological writing ("exhibiting symptoms").
Easily confused with exhibiting
"Exhibiting" means showing or displaying something outwardly, while "inhibiting" means restraining or holding something back.