display

The word “display” means to show something openly so it can be seen clearly. In plain terms, to show something, or a screen/arrangement made for people to look at.

“Display” is pronounced dihs-PLAY (/dɪsˈpleɪ/ in IPA).

Here is “display” used in a sentence: “The gallery displays local artwork every summer.”

Depending on how it is used, “display” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “display” comes from Latin. From Old French despleier, "to unfold or spread out," ultimately from Latin dis- ("apart") + plicare ("to fold") — a doublet of "deploy".

“Display” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Display” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to show something openly so it can be seen clearly.

Show is the broad, everyday word for letting something be seen. Display usually implies a more deliberate, prominent presentation — arranging things so they stand out, as in a shop window or museum case. You might show a friend a photo, but a store displays its best products.

Both mean to put something on view, but exhibit is more formal and is linked to galleries, museums, and shows — an artist exhibits paintings. Display is broader and more everyday, covering everything from shop windows to emotions. All exhibiting is displaying, but not all displaying is exhibiting.

The opposite is to hide or conceal — keeping something out of sight rather than showing it openly. Where display puts things on view, concealing removes them from view. Related opposites include cover, mask, and withhold, all suggesting the deliberate hiding of what could otherwise be seen.