What does expository mean?
Expository is an adjective describing something whose purpose is to explain, inform, or set forth information in a clear, organized manner. It derives from the Latin exponere, meaning 'to set out' or 'to display', the same root that gives us expose and exposition. In education, expository writing is one of the principal rhetorical modes: unlike narrative writing, which tells a story, or persuasive writing, which argues a point, expository writing presents facts, explains concepts, and analyzes ideas without embellishment or personal agenda. Textbooks, news reports, how-to guides, and technical manuals are typically expository in character. The word carries a neutral-to-positive connotation of clarity and rigor, though it can imply dryness when contrasted with more expressive styles. In religious contexts, expository preaching denotes sermons devoted to systematically unpacking a passage of scripture. For students and writers alike, it names a mode of communication valued wherever understanding matters more than entertainment.
adjectiveIntended to explain, describe, or set forth information in a clear and systematic way; of the nature of exposition.
- Serving to explain or set forth information clearly, especially describing a genre of writing or discourse that presents facts and analysis without narrative or argumentation.
"The professor's expository lectures made even the most complex theories accessible to first-year students."
"The exam required students to write an expository essay explaining the causes of the Industrial Revolution."
"Her expository style — direct, orderly, free of ornament — made her textbook a standard in the field."
Expository comes from the same Latin root as 'expose' — so every expository essay literally 'sets out' its ideas for the world to see.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of expository
Expository comes from the Latin verb exponere, meaning 'to set forth' or 'to put out', formed from ex- ('out') plus ponere ('to place'). The word entered English in the early 17th century via the related noun exposition and the Medieval Latin expositorius. It shares this Latin root with expose, exponent, and component-family words built on ponere such as compose and depose, all carrying the underlying sense of placing or setting something forth.
Related word forms
How expository is actually used
Expository is a formal word used chiefly in academic and educational contexts, especially in discussions of writing pedagogy, where 'expository writing' names one of the standard rhetorical modes alongside narrative, descriptive, and persuasive writing. In religious contexts, 'expository preaching' refers to sermons that systematically explain a biblical text. It is rarely used in casual conversation.
Easily confused with expository
Compository is a rare word relating to composition or arrangement into a whole, whereas expository relates to explanation and setting forth information.