expositions

Exposition is a term with two related but distinct senses. In public discourse, an exposition refers to a large public display or trade fair intended to showcase products, ideas, or cultural achievements. In writing and speech, exposition denotes the systematic explanation or background information that helps an audience understand a topic, a situation, or a narrative.

Exhibitions and world fairs emerged in the 19th century as organized venues for nations and companies to present innovations. They are typically organized around themes, feature pavilions or booths, live demonstrations, and conference programs, and aim to inform, persuade, and attract investment or tourism. The term expo is commonly used informally. Notable expositions include the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London and various international expositions that have shaped urban development and cultural exchange.

In literature, exposition is the information that introduces the setting, characters, and historical context. It may be delivered through narration, dialogue, or embedded in scenes. Writers balance exposition with action, using devices such as dialogue, scene-setting, backstory, or documents within the story. Excessive exposition, often called an infodump, can slow narrative momentum; modern storytelling favors showing rather than telling where possible.

Exposition can also refer to a formal public explanation or clarification of a concept, theory, or policy, such as a scholarly exposition of a mathematical theorem. The term is often used interchangeably with explanation, display, or fair in the context of events, while in rhetoric it specifically denotes explanatory content.