Forms: 4–5 exposicioun, 4–6 exposicion, -yon, (4 exposission), 5 expositioun, -ycion, -yon, (6 exposytion), 6– exposition. [a. F. exposition, ad. L. expositiōn-em, n. of action f. expōnĕre (pa. pple. exposit-us): see EXPONE.]
† 1. The action of putting, or the condition of being put, out of a place; expulsion. Cf. EXPOSE v. 1. Obs. rare.
1530. Palsgr., 218/1. Exposytion, exposition.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 819/2. No time of taryenge betwene their [angels’] synne and their exposicion.
b. esp. The action of putting (a child) out in the open; abandonment to chance; = EXPOSURE 1 b.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, xxxvi. (1887), 136. To disburden a common weale of vnnecessary number … by exposition … of enfantes.
1654. R. Codrington, trans. Ivstine’s Hist., 8. Hearing of the exposition of this royall Infant.
1747. Orig. Hum. Appetites, i. ¶ 5, in Parr, Metaph. Tracts 18th C. (1837), 53. The exposition of children without distinction (sometimes) either of family or sex, are looked upon as laudable practices.
1869. Lecky, Europ. Mor., I. i. 47. The murder or exposition of the children of poor parents.
1875. Poste, Gaius, I. Comm. (ed. 2), 65.
† 2. Situation with respect to the quarter of the heavens; ‘aspect.’ Obs. = EXPOSURE 3.
1688. Lett. conc. Pres. St. Italy, 145. The water within them is in a full exposition to the Sun.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., I. 128. An Easterly Exposition.
1710. London & Wise, Compl. Gard. (1719), 268. Those sorts which blow only in good Expositions.
1758. Jortin, Erasm., I. 76. Erasmus … ascribes the plague … partly to the … bad exposition of the houses.
1775. Johnson, Journ. W. Isl., Wks. X. 413. By choosing an advantageous exposition, they can raise all the more hardy esculent plants.
1834. Beckford, Italy, II. 107. The exposition likewise is singularly happy; skreened by sloping hills.
3. The action of putting out to public view; an instance of this; a display, show, exposure. † Also (rarely) = EXPOSURE 1 c, d.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., xvi. § 2. The Synagogue had been thrown out to an inglorious Exposition and Contempt.
1788. Trifler, xviii. 245. The country ’squires dreaded the exposition of their rustic conversation to the ordeal of her criticism. Ibid., xxiv. 318. The exposition of these absurdities … should be forwarded by every man of sense.
1834. Beckford, Italy, I. 4. There happened to be an exposition of the holy wafer.
1835. Browning, Paracelsus, 128. Grown Grey in the exposition of such antics.
1836. New Monthly Mag., XLVI. 3. The practice of exposition on the pillory.
1844. Pugin, Gloss., 182. The Exposition of any Relic without an authentication has been strictly prohibited.
1885. Catholic Dict., 331/2. The Host after High Mass (the Mass of Exposition) is placed on a throne above the altar…. Relics and images must be removed from the altar of exposition.
b. After mod. French use; = EXHIBITION 6.
1868. Sala, Notes & Sk. Paris Exhibition, ii. 15. The Universal Exposition of 1867: that, you know well enough, is the official designation.
1873. Browning, Red Cott. Nt.-cap, 270. Paint! The last Exposition warrants me Plenty of people must ply brush with toes.
1879. Howells, L. Aroostook, 272. Typical villages of the different civilizations at the international expositions.
1891. Soc. of Arts, Title of Paper, 11 Dec., 9. The World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893.
4. The action or process of setting forth, declaring, or describing, either in speech or writing.
1460. Earl Marche, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 5, I. 10. We have charged your servant … for to declare … certayne things … Wherefore we beseche your graciouse lordeschip … to here him in exposicion of the same, and to his relacion to yeve ful feith and credence.
1783. H. Blair, Lect. Rhet., II. 78. In the conduct and exposition of his arguments, he [Cicero] may and ought to be imitated.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 66. Clear exposition was the only thing needed to convert him to the new theory.
b. A statement in which any matter is set forth in detail.
1388. Wyclif, 2 Macc. ii. 13. These same thingis weren put in discripciouns and exposiciouns [Vulg. commentariis] of Neemye.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxx. 241. For the which dede, after the exposycion of some auctours the sayd erle was punysshed.
1552. Huloet, Exposition, commentarium.
1842. A. Combe, Physiol. Digestion (ed. 4), 189. If we look to the exposition of the objects of eating already given.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. xvi. 311. The author of the theory has at various times published expositions of his views.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. i. 10. Of the great expositions of feudal custom, most are from Northern France.
1884. Bower & Scott, De Bary’s Phaner. & Ferns, 504. A question … that does not belong to the present anatomical exposition.
c. Music (see quot. 1869).
1869. Ouseley, Counterp., xxiii. 178. Every fugue must commence with what is called ‘the exposition’ of the subject and answer. By this is simply meant the first entry of the subject, answer, and countersubject. Ibid. (1879), in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 568/2. After the exposition is completed by the successive and regular entry of every part.
5. The action of expounding or explaining; interpretation, explanation. Also an instance or mode of this; an explanation, interpretation.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, Comm. 19. Hit nedeth exposicyon. Ibid. (1340), Pr. Consc., 3856. An exposicion Of þe haly godspelle in a lesson.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 969. The exposicioun of this holy praier … I bitake to these maystres of theology.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lxiii. 271 (Harl. MS.). The exposicion of theise vers is this.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 237. You know the Law, your exposition Hath beene most sound.
1672. Sir T. Browne, Lett. to Friend, xix. (1881), 140. Some Dreams I confess may admit of easie and feminine Exposition.
1699. Bentley, Phal., 302. The other Exposition, that makes Μοσχος the name of an Harper.
1729. Franklin, Ess., Wks. 1840, II. 39. The unaccountable expositions that are put upon some of my works.
1741–3. Wesley, Jrnl. (1749), 69. Attending the expositions of the persons commonly called Methodists.
1795. Wythe, Decis. Virginia, 8. This exposition of the testament fulfilleth the intention of him who made it.
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. xxvii. 690. It was … suggested … that Bacon’s exposition of the law was unsound.
1877. Sparrow, Serm., ix. 122. The exposition of the Bible.
Comb. 1826. Bentham, in Westm. Rev., VI. 500. Exposition-requiring terms.
b. An expository article or treatise; a commentary.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., Ded. 1. Specialy to gader eld exposiciones upon Scripture into o colleccion.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 553/1. In his exposicion vpon the first pistle of saint Iohn.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., iv. 107. The Reading of such Expositions of Scriptures as are writ by plain and sincere followers of Christ.
1685. A. Lovell, trans. Simon’s Relig. & Cust. East. Nations, 149. They have likewise Expositions on those Books.
1773. Mrs. Chapone, Improv. Mind (1774), I. 66. The Prophecies … you had better … read … with a good exposition.
c. Logic. (In various senses: see quots.)
1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Log., I. ii. 4 b. There be two parts of Logike, Exposition of the nature of argumentes, and Disposition of the same. Ibid., I. ii. 6. Exposition, the first part of Logike, declareth the particular affection and nature of every severall argument.
1656. trans. Hobbes’ Elem. Philos. (1839), 139. Quantity is determined two ways; one by the sense, when some sensible object is set before it … which way of determining is called exposition.
1837–8. Sir W. Hamilton, Logic, xxiv. (1866), II. 12. It [a declaration] is called an Exposition, when the evolution of a notion is continued through several explications.
1860. Veitch & Mansel, Hamilton’s Logic, I. 263, note. The term Exposition (ἔκθεσις) is employed by Aristotle and most subsequent logicians to denote the selection of an individual instance whose qualities may be perceived by sense, in order to prove a general relation apprehended by the intellect.
Hence Expositional a., of the nature of an exposition; explanatory. Expositionary a., inclined to exposition or setting forth in detail.
1845. Mozley, Blanco White, Ess. 1884, II. 138. All those creeds … the simply expositional and interpretative form of the original revealed truth…—all this is thrown aside.
1867. J. Garfield, in Century Mag., Jan. (1884), 413/2. Spurgeon … accompanied his reading with sensible … expositional comments.
1882. J. Hawthorne, Fort. Fool, I. xviii. He was of an argumentative and expositionary turn of mind.
