display

1 of 2

verb

dis·​play di-ˈsplā How to pronounce display (audio)
displayed; displaying; displays
Synonyms of displaynext

transitive verb

1
a
: to place or spread (something) for people to see
The gallery displays the work of local artists.
It also comes with a wooden wall mount so you can proudly display it in your living room.—Nathan Donkor
If the system displays an error message, you may need to adjust your settings …—Andy Wolber
also : to serve as a place for displaying (something)
… a … shop window displaying shimmering silk scarves … —Ute Junker
As the robot worked, a screen displayed its progress. —Dominic Rushe
b
: to make (an emotion, quality, skill, etc.) evident
displayed great skill
displayed an interest in music
She displayed no emotion upon hearing the news.
c
: to exhibit conspicuously and usually in an ostentatious manner
displayed their wealth
He liked to display his extensive knowledge of Greek mythology.
2
obsolete : descry

intransitive verb

1
: to make a breeding (see breeding sense 4) display
During the mating season king penguins displayed with potential partners: closing their eyes, stretching their heads skyward and moving them in a half-circle to "take peeks" at one another.—Ella Davies
2
: to be visible or make something visible (as on the screen of a digital device)
… a rearview camera that displays on the navigation screen when he backs up …—Anita Hamilton
This system would allow the computer to display on the television for multimedia presentations …—Kellie B. Gormly
3
obsolete : show off
displayable
di-ˈsplā-ə-bəl How to pronounce display (audio)
adjective
displayable images

display

2 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
a(1)
: a setting or presentation of something in open view
a fireworks display
(2)
: a clear sign or evidence : exhibition
a display of courage
b
: ostentatious show
worldly display
c
: an eye-catching arrangement by which something is exhibited
a display of artifacts
merchandise in a window display
—often used with on
her early paintings are currently on display
d
: an electronic device (such as a LCD) or part of a device (such as the screen of a tablet) that presents information in visual form
a temperature display
also : the visual information presented
e
: type (see type entry 1 sense 2), composition, or printing designed to catch the eye
2
zoology : a pattern of behavior exhibited especially by male birds in the breeding season

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for display

show, exhibit, display, expose, parade, flaunt mean to present so as to invite notice or attention.

show implies no more than enabling another to see or examine.

showed her snapshots to the whole group

exhibit stresses putting forward prominently or openly.

exhibit paintings at a gallery

display emphasizes putting in a position where others may see to advantage.

display sale items

expose suggests bringing forth from concealment and displaying.

sought to expose the hypocrisy of the town fathers

parade implies an ostentatious or arrogant displaying.

parading their piety for all to see

flaunt suggests a shameless, boastful, often offensive parading.

nouveaux riches flaunting their wealth

Examples of display in a Sentence

Verb Students displayed their projects at the science fair. Toys were displayed in the store window. Her awards are prominently displayed on the mantel. The museum displays relics found during the excavation of the site. He displayed no emotion when I told him the news. I was impressed by the care she displayed in making the flower arrangements. The rookie player displayed great skill. The company has displayed exceptional dedication to this community. Noun The library's current display features locally made crafts. Her trophies are in a display case. The celebration ended with a spectacular fireworks display.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
OnX gathers that data and builds layers of graphics that show exactly where app users should avoid and displays it on a phone or tablet on the onX Backcountry, onX Offroad, and onX Hunt apps. —Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024 All the plans are displayed in a single column in the app, which is slightly confusing. —PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
The decrease is attributed to lower global demand for interactive flat panel displays. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024 Lots of Tools for Artists and Designers With higher-resolution displays becoming more common, your old images sometimes might not be good enough anymore. —PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for display 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English desplaien, displaien, displeien "to unfurl (a banner), spread (the arms), reveal, expound," borrowed from Anglo-French despleier, desplaier, desploier, deplaier "to unfurl, set out to view, reveal, expound" (continental Old French desploier), probably from des- dis- + pleier, ploier "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

Note: Compare deploy. Older references see this verb as an outcome of Latin displicāre, attested in the classical corpus only in Varro's Res rusticae, where it appears to mean "scatter, disperse." In Late Latin, the verb appears once in the sense "explain, expound" in the sermons of Gregory the Great on the book of Ezekiel. Apparent cognates outside Gallo-Romance are probably of secondary origin: Italian dispiegare "to spread out, deploy" may be a derivative of spiegare "to unfold, explain," perhaps modeled on Old French desploier (spiegare itself and synonymous Engadine Romansh splajer are from Latin explicāre—see explicate); and Spanish desplegar "to spread, open out" appears to be a learned formation.

Noun

derivative of display entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of display was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing display

Dictionary Entries Near display

displant

display

display advertising

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Display.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/display. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

display

1 of 2 verb
dis·​play dis-ˈplā How to pronounce display (audio)
1
: to put in plain view
display the flag
the results displayed on a computer screen
display toys in a store window
2
: to make clear the existence or presence of : make a display of
display anger

display

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a showing of something
b
: an electronic device (as a cathode-ray tube in a computer or radar receiver) that gives information in visual form
also : the visual information
2
: overdone or unnecessary show
3
: an attractive exhibition

More from Merriam-Webster on display

Nglish: Translation of display for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of display for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...